Board or supervision? Student chief defends himself against allegations!

Board or supervision? Student chief defends himself against allegations!

Schwerin, Deutschland - The state student council of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been causing a sensation and discounts. A call to an educational protest that took place in Schwerin at the end of May is open to the demand for a stronger “democracy education” in schools. As part of a 20-page position paper, it is emphasized how important a well-founded political education is for the future generation. But behind the scenes it bubbles tremendously. Insiders report a rough tone and inner tensions that affect the functioning of the board. Allegations of the lack of a say and intimidation of critical voices also bring unrest into the discussion, as the Uckermarkurier reports.

The excitement, however, took a new turn when an internal WhatsApp chat apparently contained demands for resignation for absent members. The waves also let reports on a supposed “drinking bean” on the beach in Warnemünde. Enrico Schult, the AfD's educational policy spokesman, reacted sharply and called for a return to serious advocacy representatives after he had noticed the lack of critical votes in the student representative. For Schult it is terrifying that the AfD has not been invited to the student protest, which can be seen as a clear exclusion of variety of opinion.

demands for more participation and democracy education

The views on democracy and political education among the students are complex. The State Student Council calls for an earlier thematization of the Nazi dictatorship in class and better offers to promote media literacy. It is also criticized that 22% of 14 to 29 year olds provide information in the last examination of wanting to choose the AfD, which indicates a worrying increase in right-wing extremism in schools, as News4teachers states. These statements should help to actively involve the students in the content and structures of their education.

For the chairman of the student council Leni Hein, it is essential to counter the spread of extremism and anti -Semitism among classmates. Media education and critical information processing must be consistently promoted. The young audience is increasingly finding out about social networks, especially Tiktok, which carries both opportunities and risks. Teachers should therefore intervene more complex and consistent in discriminatory statements.

The gap in democracy education

The current discourse on democracy education is underlined by the results of several studies. A comprehensive study that was carried out in 2008 showed that only 21% of the elementary school children surveyed answered basal features of democracy correctly. It is alarming that 22% of children had never heard of democracy. These statistics also highlight the educational policy challenges in front of which we are facing. Children from socially weaker conditions in particular show a lower political involvement, which shows a great imbalance in political education. There are also challenges in the imparting of historical knowledge, especially National Socialism remains a bit of a taboo topic in terms of many young people.

The educational policy measures of the State student council are therefore not only a call to political participation, but also a necessary step towards a more comprehensive, integrative education. The extensive basic program, which also addresses digital media and a stronger inclusion of the students in the school design, could set new accents here.

The latest events throw a light on the dynamic and often controversial discussions that are about the educational landscape in Germany. The voices of the students and their demands for more democracy education must be taken seriously in order to shape a sustainable society.