School Project: 'Mutual Care and Concern'
All men are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and shall encounter each other in the spirit of brotherhood. (Article 1 of the General Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations)

1. What was the starting point? Where do impulse and initiative come from?
There are about 7 to 8 million disabled people in Germany. Most of them are physically disabled. But such figures are difficult to be fixed, for there are a lot of handicaps which you cannot see and which therefore are difficult to be determined.There is a range of different handicaps, e.g. brain damages, physical handicaps, sensory disturbances and learning handicaps. Unfortunately lots of young people are also affected and often isolated and alone with their sorrows and troubles.

In 1989 this challenge was taken up by Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School, which started the school proect 'Mutual Care and Concern which is unique in Germany and which is based on the school programme 'Social Commitment'.

The project is carried out both at the Grammar School and at the Schlossberg-clinic, a special neurological clinic for multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease patients in Bad Laasphe. The common aim is to give the students a better understanding in dealing with disabled people and to encourage social learning beyond school. Thus the students are supposed to get rid of prejudices and to strengthen their tolerance and acceptance. Conveying values to the students completes the education to encourage them to say 'no' to violence. For violence is not created isolatedly but out of conflicts. Understanding each other shall help not to convert conflicts into violence. Understanding the weak and disabled people in our society can be learned, especially when you experience their problems.

Therefore project-orientated, extra-curricular activities based on religious and physical education are a very important part of school life. Because of the so far very positive course of these encounters between disabled and non-disabled people the students' sit-ins at the Schlossberg-clinic are firmly integrated in the curriculum of Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School. They are compulsory in Year 9.

This additional extra-curricular commitment is explicitly mentioned and regarded very important in the new instructions for the subject 'religious education'. The student A. Becker summed up his experiences as follows: At the beginning the exercises in the wheelchair together with the patients seemed quite strange to him and they were strenuous for his muscles. The understanding that you must support each other and treat each other fair in your life has come to his mind in the course of the sit-ins.

The sports authorities Siegen-Wittgenstein, the German Society of Multiple Sclerosis of North-Rhine-Westphalia, the Federal Union of the German Society of Multiple Sclerosis, the German Society Of Multiple Sclerosis of Hesse, trade and industry, parents and former students and the media/press are involved in the project work. So far the cooperation has been successful so that one can say that Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School serves as an example in this field. The profit of a cooperation of both groups, disabled and non-disabled people, can be found in the support of readiness to communicate and the exchange of knowledge as well as in the proper recognition of other positions and in a conscious identification. The cooperation makes a very important contribution to mutual understanding, respect and tolerance.

On 11th June, 1995 this project was broadcast in a magazine programme of the MDR. Furthermore the ZDF presented the school project all over Germany in their programme 'Join In' on 6th April, 1996.

2. Which aspects are in the foreground at present?

Common wheelchair sports, skittles and swimming are in the foreground of the sit-ins. For their performance every participant receives a 'wheelchair driver's licence' first, second or third degree. Furthermore this integrative model is part of the developrnent of the school programme. Besides we cooperate with the 'Deutscher Städtetag' and the Institute of School and Further Education. In addition the project-orientated topics are discussed in several subjects (the subjects involved are P.E. - religious education - politics - biology).

Meanwhile we have founded a common wheelchair-basketball-team and we hold friendly games and tournaments. During a four-week school-internal preparation the students learn a lot about wheelchair sports and about the sports therapy corresponding to the symptoms of multilple sclerosis patients. Following the sit-ins in the clinic there is a thorough go-over in the lessons and in the school wheelchair sports club. What seems to be dry in the curriculum is a project which does not leave anybody, neither the students nor the patients, emotionally untouched.

With the award 'School of the Year' the project received a weel-deserved honour in 1997. In the course of the fair 'Interschul 1997' in Berlin our school qualified for this award in a country-wide competition. The concern and the special performance of the school in the field 'social learning' was particularly emphasized.

At the moment the students and the projeet tutor are planning a town guide for disabled people.

Under the motto 'Taking responsibility for one's awn health' the first health project was introduced at the end of the last school year. Experts, students of the Years 8 to 10, teachers and parents took part actively. The goal of this event was accepting responsibility of the 14 to 17-year-old kids, giving hints and demonstrating wrong ways of behaviour.

The event was assisted by the Junior Red Cross from the town on the river Lahn, the drug and addiction consultant of the Protestant Church, a nutrition consultant, a psychologist, a physical therapist and the 'Barmer' health insurance company. Ihe 100 students were conveyed a transparent view of the notion 'health' in discussion sessions and active interference such as wheelchair handling, wheelchair sports, relaxation exercises or the arrangement of a healthy breakfast. All this was done in form of a circuit training. The health project was supported by the parents who appreciated the partnership with experts from outside school. After analyzing the event the organizers want the health project to become a fixed part of the school programme of Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School.

3. What is the context between P.E. and extracurricular activities?

Beside the ordinary P.E. lessons at Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School a wheelchair sports club was founded some years ago. In this club disabled sports play an important role. Once or twice a week two groups of about 36 students come together to do exercise in wheelchair handling and wheelchair sports or to play wheelchair basketball, wheelchair badminton and wheelchair handball. Multiple sclerosis patients from the Bad Laasphe Schlossberg-clinic often join the club. Tournaments with patients' teams as well as tournaments with students' teams are carried out. We should not forget to mention the equipment. Some wheelchairs are permanently deposited in the school gym to be also used in the P.E. lessons (e.g. basketball/wheelchair basketball). Other apparatus suitable for disabled sports are used, too. Thus the ordinary P.E. also contributes among others to the preparation of the clinic sit-ins.

Of course, the aspect of 'social learning' stands out. Sports days and encounters with disabled and non-disabled people during the sports project week complete the impression.

So P.E. makes an important contribution to strengthen acceptance and tolerance. Meanwhile more and more students volunteer encouraged through P.E. and club to do sports together with disabled people or just to be together with them, e.g. at seminars of the German Society of Multiple Sclerosis.

4. What is the connection with other central topics of the school programme?

The project 'Mutual Care and Concern' is a fixed topic in the school programme of Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School (Social commitment/social responsibility). The aspect of parallel practice and learning in different subjects such as P. E., religious education, biology and politics/social science plays an important role. The following connections with other central topics should be mentioned: cooperation with the study groups 'health project, health education and promotion', drug consulting, drug prophylaxis and prophylaxis of violence and 'former students advise present students' ('former
students' meeting'). Getting the parents involved is a major part. Of course, the aspect 'open school' takes a high position.

5. How is the continuation of the development made sure or organized?

After each sit-in the common experiences are discussed and analyzed. The students keep minutes and make reports. Furthermore there is a permanent revision of contents and methods. In the planning discussions we talk about the further common procedure in detail. The project is well supported by the teaching staff, parents, committees, the manager of the clinic and the media/the press. In common agreements, e.g. in the subjects P.E./religious education/biology/politics, there is a further coordination in the staff and the continuation of the development is made sure. In the future it would be desirable if older students made a training as sports instructor to support the project furthermore.

6. Which are the following steps planned?

The project has caused quite a stir: Beside the cooperation with the Bad Laasphe Schlossberg-clinic Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School works together with the town, the 'Deutsche Städtetag' and the Soest Institute of School and Further Education in the field of 'cooperation in connection with creating school life and open school'.

So we were one of the 12 presentation schools at the North-Rhine-Westphalia school sports symposium on 24th and 25th September, 1998 in Soest. Furthermore there is a cooperation with the federal union and the North-Rhine-Westphalian section of the German Society of Multiple Sclerosis in the fields of 'sports therapy and multiple sclerosis' and 'wheelchair sports' in the centre of our activities. We are also planning a close cooperation with the Marburg university in the subject P.E./science of motion.

Meanwhile a town guide for disabled people is being designed together with the Bad Laasphe council. A study group has already been created. Students, teachers, representatives of clubs and politicians contribute their experiences. Eventually we are planning a common event celebrating the 10th anniversary of the school project 'Mutual Care and Concern' of Wittgenstein Castle Grammar School in 1999. This event is supposed to be carried out during the project week at our school. In addition we are thinking of offering our sixth formers industrial training and university sit-ins in the field of social science.

Conclusion: Disabled and non-disabled people are taking part with enthusiasm and commitment and they learn from each other. They have made friends with each other in the recent years and contacted lots of organisations and clubs such as the disabled sports club Triptis in Thuringia. In the future more teams in which disabled and non-disabled people learn together and support each other are to be formed.

School project leader: Wolfgang Henkel, Translation: Dieter Nubling