Education in democracy: SWK recommends strengthening politics and history education
Germany’s Standing Scientific Commission on Education Policy recommends strengthening politics and history education in schools. The commission feels focus should be placed on comprehension of politics and history, the ability to act, assessment skills and fostering of interest in politics and history.
The Standing Scientific Commission on Education Policy (SWK) is an independent scientific advisory board attached to the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK). Its sixteen members are education researchers from a range of disciplines. The SWK’s remit is to advise Germany’s federal states on matters of education policy. It identifies existing challenges and offers evidence-based recommendations for resolving them. The Commission adapts an interdisciplinary, long-term and systemic perspective. The SWK involves external experts and is advised by representatives from politics, administration and civil society. The Commission is supported by a permanent office.
Today, the SWK published its position paper “Education in democracy as a school mandate - the importance of teaching history and politics as a subject and a requirement for all subjects and school development”. The paper provides recommendations for the long-term strengthening of the subjects of politics and history and a democratic school culture as well as guidance on dealing with acute crises and conflicts.
This position paper is prompted by widespread pressure on the democratic constitutional state. Anti-democratic, right-wing extremist, anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim or other misanthropic statements are being openly expressed in schools. At the same time, research shows students have less trust in politics and often lack the political knowledge to deal rationally with decisions and solutions.
Prof. Dr. Felicitas Thiel, Co-Chair of the SWK and Professor of School Pedagogy and School Development Research at Freie Universität Berlin: “Schools play a special role in education in democracy because they are the only institution that reaches all children and adolescents. Politics and history can lay the foundations for children and adolescents to engage with political processes and social conflicts in a sound manner.”
Christine Streichert-Clivot, President of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Saarland: “Schools should be places of learning where democracy is exemplified, experienced and practiced, as the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Saarland recently emphasized in its recommendation ‘Democracy as the goal, subject and practice of historical-political education and upbringing in schools’ and in its position paper on 75 years of the Basic Law. I would like to thank the Standing Committee and the experts involved for their statements and recommendations: Especially in times when the democratic constitutional state is facing pressure from various sides, it is of the utmost importance that students acquire sound knowledge of politics and history as well as the necessary skills to form critical assessments. A strong democratic school culture that promotes respect, participation, self-efficacy and co-determination is an indispensable basis for committed and informed citizens. The Standing Conference will examine the recommendations and incorporate them into its future work.”
Schools are dependent on external support when dealing with acute crises and conflicts. The SWK therefore advises the federal states firstly to provide information and further training on current political conflicts and educational approaches for dealing with them. The second key component is extracurricular advice services that specialize in radicalization processes and can provide support in acute situations.
The SWK feels it necessary to strengthen the subjects of politics and history in the medium and long term. Currently, both subjects are not taught continuously and the number of lessons varies greatly between the federal states. What's more, partly due to non-subject teaching, lessons often fail to impart the necessary knowledge as well as the ability to act and make assessments necessary to participate in society as responsible citizens. The SWK considers it necessary to further develop the curricula. This includes political media education: social media are much more important than other sources of information when it comes to providing young people with political information. At the same time, misinformation and extremist content are spread particularly frequently via TikTok and the like.
The SWK also recommends establishing education in democracy as an interdisciplinary principle in all subjects and strengthening a democratic school culture. “Rules on respectful and tolerant interaction with one another are just as much a part of the school program as opportunities for students and parents to have a say. School administrators are responsible for ensuring this. Despite the potential of education in democracy, education cannot solve social problems. It is no substitute for a policy that addresses the concerns and fears of young people,” Felicitas Thiel continues.
In addition to the SWK members, Prof. Dr. Monika Oberle (political education expert at Goethe University Frankfurt), Prof. Dr. Nicola Brauch (history education expert at Ruhr University Bochum) and Prof. Dr. Herrmann Josef Abs (University of Duisburg-Essen, co-author of the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS) 2022) contributed to the position paper.
Recommendations at a glance
Recommendation 1: Coordinate a common definition of skills objectives for education in democracy in the subjects of politics and history and implement measures to achieve these objectives.
Recommendation 2: Ensure a consistent range of lessons in the subjects of politics and history and orientation towards a spiral curriculum from elementary school through lower secondary level geared towards the model of historically aware, responsible citizens.
Recommendation 3: Further develop teaching in the subjects of history and politics or in the corresponding combined subjects as well as in general studies.
Recommendation 4: Establish education in democracy goals as an interdisciplinary teaching principle in all school subjects.
Recommendation 5: Strengthen democratic school culture through targeted school development and participation.
Recommendation 6: Strengthen teacher training for better quality history and politics lessons, for education in democracy as an interdisciplinary principle and for a democratic school culture.
Recommendation 7: Create circumstances to allow education in democracy at all levels.
Links
“Education in democracy as a school mandate - the importance of teaching history and politics as a subject and a requirement for all subjects and school development” (2024), https://swk-bil-dung.org/content/uploads/2024/06/SWK-2024-Stellungnahme_Demokratiebildung.pdf, (in German)
Contact
Dr. Isabelle Sieh
The Standing Scientific Commission on Education Policy (SWK)
Secretariat
+49 (0) 228 501 701
isabelle.sieh@swk.kmk.org
