"Constitutional quarter-hour" not at the expense of other subjects
The implementation of the "constitutional quarter-hour" announced by the CSU and Free Voters at Bavaria's schools will take some time yet. "The concept is to be developed in the course of the 2023/2024 school year," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Education in Munich at the request of the German Press Agency. It remains to be seen when it will be implemented. According to the coalition, the aim is to test it from the 2024/2025 school year. However, Anna Stolz (Freie Wähler) has already made one thing clear: there will be no shortening of other lessons. The specific details would be worked out together with representatives from schools and associations.
In their new coalition agreement, the governing parties had agreed to place a new focus on constitutional values in school lessons. This was in response to the growing pressure on democracy from populists and extremists. "To this end, we are introducing a "constitutional quarter-hour" as a weekly format in which practical examples will be used to discuss the Bavarian Constitution and the Basic Law as well as the principles enshrined therein," the coalition agreement specifically states.
"I observe with great concern the increase in anti-Semitic and extremist ideas in parts of our society. Although schools in Bavaria have rarely been the scene of these conflicts to date, schools are the place where we reach a great many people," said Education Minister Stolz. It was an important signal to counter any radical tendencies. The constitutional quarter hour is a useful addition and a great opportunity. She would like to see a "lively, open concept with many current references and design opportunities".
Apart from the announcement, no details have yet been finalized. The ministry says that the introduction will "probably" not require a change in the law. In the end, a decree from the ministry should suffice.
The ministry does not share fears that the "constitutional quarter hour" will often be canceled in everyday life due to a lack of teachers, for example. Implementation should "not be delegated to a few 'specialists'", said the ministry spokesperson. Instead, the aim is for teachers of all subjects to address the various constitutional values as part of their lessons. "With an open, flexible concept, the 'constitutional quarter hour' can also be implemented if a teacher is absent due to illness."
The aim is also not to shorten lessons, "but to embed them harmoniously and flexibly" in the range of subjects offered by the individual types of school, the report continued. "In numerous subjects, the current curricula offer the opportunity to regularly address fundamental and human rights and the free and democratic basic order in accordance with the interdisciplinary educational objectives and to highlight individual constitutional values," said the spokesperson.
Values such as the inviolability of human dignity, respect for human rights and children's rights, freedom of faith and conscience or the protection of minorities, freedom of opinion and the press and freedom of assembly could be addressed in subjects such as religion, German, foreign languages or in the key subjects of political education such as history, geography, economics and law as well as politics and society. There would also be a variety of points of contact in the context of projects or all-day school activities. Pupils should not experience the "constitutional quarter hour" as a foreign element in the school day, but as an exciting, highlight-like focus with many current references.
The introduction of the "constitutional quarter-hour" in schools will not affect the length of other lessons, as assured by Anna Stolz. This initiative aims to promote discussions about constitutional values using practical examples, and teachers from all subjects are expected to incorporate these values into their lessons.
Source: www.dpa.com
