A fundamental overhaul of the school system would be the logical step. Better training opportunities for teachers also result in better-trained teachers – contrary to popular opinion, there are indeed motivated teachers out there (I even got to know a few during my school days). And ultimately, it is the teachers who educate our future – or destroy it.
On the other hand, one can hardly expect that in times when there are calls for schools and universities to be geared even more rigidly toward later use in the economy, that knowledge transfer itself can still be the central focus. Just look at what politicians are calling for at the moment when they present their wonderful education reforms. Shortening the total time in school, earlier enrollment – what is that supposed to achieve? Approaches to problems in the school system must start with teaching methods and personnel. Children want to learn. The older they get, the more motivation needs to come into play – why they should continue learning – after all, learning is not without effort, and no child will sustain it for 10-13 years without motivation. This also includes further education after school – study places and apprenticeships must be available so that kids can see perspectives on where their learning leads. Otherwise, even if the teacher wears a red foam nose ever so often, by middle school no one will take him seriously if he cannot point to a potential future. And this also requires their own concepts – merely parroting concepts from yesterday borrowed from other countries doesn't help either.
Where, for example, are the continuations of the alternative school systems that were examined? What about the promotion of specialized school forms that were supposed to help children with problems in school? Look at the austerity programs of the states; these areas are affected too. Instead of investing precisely here – after all, it is our future – cuts and cancellations are happening here as well. Instead of prospects, concepts include making higher school forms more expensive – as if money were a guarantee of competence.
The fiasco in both the school system and vocational training is a glaring deficiency in our society, one that is no longer willing to build its own future, but instead prefers to smash everything and sell itself out.
I found the original article at TAZ.