Speech by Mr Yves Mersch, Member of the ECB Executive Board, on 29 April 2015

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Published: 08 May 2015 08 May 2015

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Inauguration Event
of the
new building
for pre-schoolers and 1st grade primary
at
European School Frankfurt

29 April 2015

Speech by Mr Yves Mersch, Member of the ECB Executive Board

State Secretary,
Lord Mayor of Frankfurt,
Secretary-General of the European Schools,
Head of the European School Frankfurt
and representatives of the teachers, staff and parents,
pupils, ladies and gentlemen,

It’s a pleasure to celebrate the opening of this new building at the European School Frankfurt (ESF) with you today and I would like to congratulate all members of the project and building team on the swift construction of this innovative infrastructure made from wooden pre-fabricated modules.

As more than 1,430 pupils are now attending a school originally built only for 900, the need for this building goes back several years. As early as 2008, only six years after it opened, the school was steadily expanding. It was a clear sign that a further extension of its capacity would be needed.

The European Schools “Type I”, like the ESF in Praunheim, are governed by an intergovernmental treaty (the “Statute”) between all EU Member States. The Statute lays down precise rules as regards the financing of Type I schools which have a status of state-funded schools. Running costs are largely financed out of the EU Commission budget. However, the host countries have to contribute in particular land and buildings. In federal states like the Federal Republic of Germany this requires joint action by the City (land), the local state (in charge of cultural affairs) and the Federal Government (Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance). Due to the prohibition of monetary financing the ECB must not substitute for the Member State’s financing obligations.

As no extension plans were actually implemented over recent years, ESF management, teachers and the Parents’ Association showed great flexibility and commitment in accommodating more and more pupils on the existing premises. Their ability to do so was tested yet further by the Member States’ decision to establish the Single Supervisory Mechanism in just one year, necessitating large-scale recruitment by the ECB for this purpose. In particular, since September last year teachers and parents have had to stand united in order to get things changed, as the pre-school was housed in the container village used for after-school childminding on the other side of the road.
When you invite people, they will feel welcomed if they find an adequate place to live and education for their children. Let me emphasise that the local housing market and schooling are top priorities for new ECB staff when deciding whether to move with their families to Frankfurt and whether to stay at the ECB after the initial (three- or five-year) fixed term contracts that we offer. Thus, the availability of places at the European School Frankfurt is a critical success factor for the ECB both in terms of recruitment and staff retention.

Furthermore, the after-school childminding organised by the ESF Parents’ Association complements the schooling and helps parents balance their personal and professional responsibilities. The school community plays an important role in integrating the families of ECB staff members and helps them to settle in their new environment, which may be some distance from their home countries. ECB staff members come from all EU Member States. The ESF truly reflects this diversity in its curriculum, mother-tongue tuition regime and seconded teachers.

The ECB’s investment in this new building highlights the importance of both the school and the after-school activities in the Bank's HR policy framework.   The services compensate for the family network, which most expatriate ECB families leave behind when coming to work in Frankfurt.

The capacity constraints of the European School Frankfurt mean that the building will not only serve as an after-school childminding facility, but also temporarily house the pre-schoolers and those in the 1st grade of primary school in the mornings. For these teaching purposes the Federal Republic of Germany has rented the building from the ECB for an interim period. I am sure that this “cohabitation” will require a lot of compromise on a daily basis, from teachers, childminders and parents alike, but for a short while it will allow lessons in science and sport to take place and to ensure that there are adequate provisions for lunchtime. I understand that the existing facilities reached their limits some time ago and parents, teachers and children were kept waiting for a long period, which at times felt unbearable. However, the results of a feasibility study on the potential capacity of the current premises will be published soon. It must be followed up on in order to ensure the school can move to a new location where it can offer places for at least 2,500 pupils.

The German government initiated this feasibility study in order to identify options for a long-term solution which can accommodate the additional 1,000 pupils who will be entitled to a place over the medium term. As the host country of the ESF, Germany is responsible for managing this project swiftly and coordinating the various stakeholders in order to provide a big enough school for the many children who are likely to enrol in the next three to five years. The ECB stands ready to participate in this process and, if necessary, to support close cooperation between stakeholders.

Meanwhile, I hope the current and next generation of pre-schoolers, as well as their teachers and parents, will find this light-filled and environment-friendly structure to be a positive and inspiring atmosphere for their learning activities. I wish the entire ESF community the very best of luck with all their future projects here.

European School Frankfurt Statement to Board of Governors on 15 April 2015

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Published: 16 April 2015 16 April 2015

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Dear Parents,

The following statement has been forwarded to the European Schools' Board of Governors on 15 April 2015:

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A full year has passed since representatives of the parents and management of the European school in Frankfurt were given the opportunity to address the BoG in Sofia on the serious problems that the ESF is facing due to the fact that the host country – Germany – has not fulfilled its contractual obligations towards the school.

Read more: European School Frankfurt Statement to Board of Governors on 15 April 2015

Speech by the PA President at the Key Handover for the Modular Building on April 29, 2015

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Published: 30 April 2015 30 April 2015

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Dear  Mr Mersch, Mr Montalvo, Mr Feldmann, Mr Muller, Mr Kivinen,  School Directors and Teachers, Invited Guests, Parents Representatives and Student Representatives

On behalf of the ESF Parents' Association I would like to say a special thank you

• To Mr Mersch, we are grateful to the ECB, for its support and for providing the funding for this building.
• We are also grateful to Mr Rennpferdt who has always been a good and reliable partner to the Parents Association.
• To Mr Feldmann and the City of Frankfurt, we are grateful for the additional piece of land you have provided on which this building now stands.
• We are also grateful To Dr. Pritzl and his team from the Hochbauamt, for all the hard work you have all put into this project.
• To Mr Krawczyk, and the company Kaufmann, we are very grateful to you, for the great design, quality and realisation of this building.
• To the child minders and staff of Global Education, we are grateful to you all for your  support and flexibility in moving the child minding services for Primary 1 and Preprimary classes, from the PA container village across the road to this new building.
• We are also grateful to the Children of the ESF who have taken time out from their important studies to welcome and entertain us today.

Now, although today is a joyful day I would also like us to reflect a little, on the history of the ESF:

Read more: Speech by the PA President at the Key Handover for the Modular Building on April 29, 2015

European School Frankfurt Statement to Board of Governors on 2 December 2014

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Published: 03 December 2014 03 December 2014

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Dear Parents,

Attached please find a statement from the Frankfurt Parents Association  regarding lack of funding and infrastructure at the European School Frankfurt that was read out by the President of Interparents during the European Schools' Board of Governors meeting on the afternoon of 2 December 2014. We, the Frankfurt PA seek the intervention of the Board of Governors of the European Schools and all relevant stakeholders to remind Germany about its host country responsibility towards the Frankfurt European School, for the delivering of urgently required funding and infrastructure.
 
Please feel free to distribute this statement within your organisations.

With best regards,

The Board
European School Frankfurt Parents' Association