The German education system is broken. Even the responsible Federal Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) sees it that way. Not enough teachers, the Abitur is being worked on, the schools are falling apart.
Where does something have to happen for things to really move forward? In our “3 on 1” format, three experts give their assessment. (You can find all contributions from “3 on 1” here.)
It’s not that difficult
Birgit Eickelmann is a professor for school pedagogy at the University of Paderborn and an expert for digitization in the education system. She says: We have to think and plan together for the future.
It is striking that many education managers are currently in favor of wanting to change the system. But only a little. And the innovations tend to come from the others. And first in small steps. well considered.
When it comes to the concrete implementation, the question is thrown in as to whether the new is certainly better than the old. And whether there is empirical evidence that the new ways work and lead to the desired success. Otherwise it would probably be better to stick with the old one. Well-considered seems to be good at first. Giving yourself the time you need: also.
But what would really bring progress? How can we make our school system fit for the future? All actors at one table. Good idea. Talk to each other. Also. Ultimately, however, it can only succeed if we think and plan together for the future. So far not exactly a strength of educational planning in Germany.
We want to overcome our educational low? Then we need well-equipped schools with strong and networked school management. We need teaching and learning that makes sense for the students and does not exclude anyone.
And a school workplace that is attractive and modern for teachers. You can see examples abroad. And domestically. It doesn’t really seem that difficult. When we stop clinging to the old structures and dare to do something new.
The principle of unanimity has to go
Mark Rackles is former State Secretary of the Berlin Senate Department for Education, Fellow at the Berlin Science Center for Social Research and initiator of the “Education Council from below”. He says: It takes more courage to enter into transnational state agreements on education.
When we talk about educational misery, many think of collapsing school buildings, a lack of skilled workers and the PISA shock. However, these are the symptoms of a misery.
I would rather see the actual clinical picture of the German education system in poor posture and institutional arthrosis. What we lack – and this week’s Berlin education summit showed this again – is a common understanding of the challenges in education and the personal willingness to take responsibility.
The Federal Minister is calling for “education teams” at the various levels and actors in a somewhat cryptic manner. A correct approach, in which everyone has a responsibility for the whole. In reality, on the other hand, each instance points to the other and there is no transnational community of responsibility.
In addition, there is arthrosis: The rigid structures of educational federalism are not geared towards agility in the face of challenges. Cooperative structures of cooperation would be necessary between the countries without the principle of unanimity and with more courage for cross-country educational state agreements.
Also with the federal government, as the scientific sector is showing in a very relaxed and successful way. The misery is homemade, which means there is a remedy. If not from above, then from below!
We owe it to the children
Petra Stanat is a professor at the Humboldt University in Berlin, where she is the director of the Institute for Quality Development in Education. She says: Systematic support must begin in daycare.
In order to overcome the educational misery, we don’t need individual projects, but strategies. For example, we urgently need to reduce the proportion of children and young people who do not meet the minimum standards in key areas of competence.
This must be done through systematic support, which – this is very important – begins in the day-care center and continues in school. All players in the education system should know what the minimum standards are, implement measures in their respective area that have proven themselves (keyword “evidence-based”), and regularly check to what extent the desired goals are being achieved.
For this, the educational institutions need clear framework conditions and support. Strategy means that everyone knows where you want to go, who is responsible for what and which elements should be implemented when. Everyone must take responsibility in this process, we owe it to the children and young people whose future depends on it.
I have been working in the news website industry for over 4 years now, first as a reporter and then as an editor. I enjoy writing about politics news and am also an author. I try to cover a lot of different angles when it comes to my articles so that readers can get a well-rounded understanding of the story.
