Opening up opportunities for new educational options instead of going back to the old school

Educational scientists submit petition to the Bundestag

Prof. Dr. Anke Langner (TU Dresden), Prof. Dr. Martin Heinrich (Bielefeld University) and Prof. Dr. Hans Brügelmann (University of Siegen) are calling for the reopening of German schools to be reconsidered under the title "Weighing up interests in the crisis". With their scientific expertise, they are launching a petition that critically questions the Leopoldina's third ad hoc statement, which is being followed by the Federal and State governments. It is about the return to everyday school life in times of corona. The aim is to stimulate a discussion about a fundamental alternative to these recommendations for education and for the actions of educational institutions. After all, the question of how school education can succeed under the current conditions and what the standard of education is in times of coronavirus remains unanswered.

"It is with great concern that I and my colleagues are observing the discussion about education at this time. We fear that the KMK, framed by the Leopoldina's statement and the decisions of the Federal and State governments, will adopt measures that we consider to be highly problematic for the education and psychosocial health of our students in Germany," explains Anke Langner, Scientific Director of the Dresden University School project.

Together with educational scientists, educators and parents from all over Germany, the initiators want to stimulate a debate in education policy on issues beyond curricula and the securing of school-leaving qualifications: What form of communitization can help and what form can harm? Which children and young people can or must return to school and under what conditions - or do they need other social experiences and educational opportunities? How can children and young people experience themselves in community again and discover things together? Under what conditions and circumstances can education be supported by schools now and what can learning be after corona?

The petition can be viewed on the website www.gueterabwaegung-in-der-krise.de and supported on the online platform change.org.

Go to the petition website: www.gueterabwaegung-in-der-krise.de

Petition on change.org: www.change.org/p/bundestag-güterabwägung-in-der-krise-chancen-eröffnen-für-neue-bildungsmöglichkeiten

Information for journalists:
Prof. Dr. Anke Langner
Phone: 0351 463-32235