The Gummersbach-Derschlag Municipal Comprehensive School has modernised its building complex and realised new, open space concepts. As much as EUR 3.6 million of the EUR 3.75 million investment came from the NRW.BANK.Gute Schule 2020 promotional programme. Today, February 11, 2022, the comprehensive school received the official “Gute Schule” (Good School) plaque as a seal of quality.

“The modernisations carried out here in Gummersbach have created better learning conditions and thus strengthened the basis for good education,” said Birgit Maria Rosczyk, Co-Head of NRW.BANK’s Advisory Services & Customer Service Department, on the occasion of her visit to the school in Gummersbach. “Children are the future of our federal state, which makes investments in good education an important aspect of social sustainability. As the promotional bank for North Rhine-Westphalia, it is a matter of concern to us to make available the necessary funds. So we are even more delighted to see that the funds were put to optimum use here.”

Raoul Halding-Hoppenheit, Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Gummersbach added: “The great financial support provided by the federal state and NRW.BANK allowed us to create an attractive and modern learning environment at our comprehensive school. Gummersbach says thank you for that – it makes school fun again.”

The renovation and modernisation of the Gummersbach-Derschlag Municipal Comprehensive School were handled under the NRW.BANK.Gute Schule 2020 promotional programme. Since 2017, 3.6 million euros have been invested in the structural measures of the school. The funds were invested, inter alia, in the library, the modernisation of the entrance hall, the creation of new conference rooms and the energy-efficient renovation of the lighting system. The school paid special attention to the redesign of the learning environment. Open glass walls instead of the typical concrete, modern furniture for the classrooms and new areas for autonomous learning outside the classrooms create an innovative, transparent and friendly environment for the pupils.

The NRW.BANK.Gute Schule 2020 promotional programme was launched jointly by the State of NRW and NRW.BANK with effect from 1 January 2017. Under this programme, 500 million euros p.a. were available to the municipalities over a four-year period for refurbishment and modernisation measures as well as digitalisation projects in schools. The programme was free of charge for the municipalities, as the federal state takes care of all repayments as well as potential interest payments. After the expiry of the NRW.BANK.Gute Schule 2020 programme, NRW.BANK continues to provide low-interest investment funding for the construction and modernisation of school buildings under the NRW.BANK.Moderne Schule programme.

For more information on NRW.BANK.Moderne Schule, visit www.nrwbank.de/moderneschule.

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About NRW.BANK

NRW.BANK is the promotional bank of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Its mission is to support its owner – the state of North Rhine-Westphalia – in the completion of its structural and economic policy tasks. In its three promotional fields “Economy”, “Housing” and “Infrastructure/Municipalities”, NRW.BANK uses a wide range of promotion tools – from low-interest promotion loans to equity financing to advisory services. It cooperates with all banks and savings banks based in NRW on a competition-neutral basis. NRW.BANK takes into account the existing offers by the Federal Government, the North Rhine-Westphalian government and the European Union in the arrangement of its promotion.