Hamburg's Greens redefine education policy course
Hamburg's Greens have redefined their course in education policy with guidelines for lifelong learning tailored to individual needs. The aim is to improve educational equality and reduce educational poverty, said state chair Maryam Blumenthal on Tuesday evening before the state committee - the "small party conference" - of the Greens. The rise of populism in times of crisis shows that democracy is fragile and needs to be strengthened. "Education is an effective lever here."
The key proposal of the state executive board, which was approved by a large majority of delegates, includes lowering the age of elementary school screening from four and a half years to three and a half years. This would allow special support needs to be recognized and addressed earlier, she said. As cell phones and tablets are now part of the everyday lives of primary school children, "media literacy must also be part of the educational content from Year 1".
"Development and learning rarely work in unison," said Blumenthal. With a school trial "sustainable upper school", the aim is to enable flexible learning at one's own pace and to teach young people "what is required of them after school". Self-directed learning is to be modularized and flexibly implemented on the basis of scientific findings and practical experience.
As is already the case with schools, the Greens are also planning to adapt the staffing ratio in daycare centers to the socio-economic situation of the facility. In view of the shortage of skilled workers, they are also in favor of future-oriented recruitment - for example, more teacher training places and a diversification of admission requirements.
At the beginning of the small party conference, the Greens emphasized their "unwavering solidarity" with Israel. However, saying this does not mean "being blind to justified criticism of the Israeli regime or radical settlers, for example", said co-chairman Leon Alam. "Saying this means that one thing above all is beyond question for us: Israel's right to exist is non-negotiable." Germany in particular - "the country of the Shoah" - has a special responsibility.
Israel has the right "to defend itself against Hamas and all those who would otherwise push for its annihilation". At the same time, however, Israel could not turn a blind eye to "the death and suffering inflicted on the people of the Gaza Strip" - which Hamas deliberately accepts and provokes. Seeing this suffering in Gaza is legitimate and important, said Alam. "But it cannot legitimize systematic violence against Jews."
However, mourning for relatives in Gaza must also be made possible in Hamburg. And one could not expect "the same diplomatic differentiation, the same farsightedness" from every expression of solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza as from politicians. And of course there are red lines, said Alam, but warned: "If we fail to allow space for mourning and the use of rights for the Palestinian civilian population, then we are damaging the cohesion of our society."
In the midst of global conflicts and potential wars, the importance of education in strengthening democracy becomes evident. As Leon Alam, co-chairman of the Greens, stated, education serves as an effective tool in this regard. Despite this, the Greens in Hamburg are facing internal conflicts, such as the debate over lowering the age of elementary school screening, which could potentially lead to party disputes and further conflicts.
Source: www.dpa.com
