Minister: Measures against anti-Semitism in schools
In view of the rise in anti-Semitism, Education Minister Dorothee Feller (CDU) is examining further measures to expand democratic competence and the teaching of values in schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. Feller told the state parliament's education committee on Wednesday that schools already have good structures in place to teach democratic values, respect and anti-Semitism. "Nevertheless, in light of current events, we have to keep asking ourselves whether we need to make adjustments."
Following the terrorist attack on Israel by the Islamist Hamas on October 7, the Ministry of Education had already provided teachers with additional information material and also offered online seminars.
Even before October 7, synagogues, Jewish schools and kindergartens in Germany had to be monitored by security services, said Feller. "I find it intolerable that Jewish pupils have to go to school in fear and that parents are afraid for their children."
A recent survey by WDR concludes that right-wing extremist content such as Hitler images, anti-Semitic stickers or racist memes have become known in class chats at hundreds of schools. School principals from 688 of the more than 5,400 schools in NRW took part in the non-representative survey.
Almost two thirds stated that they had noticed right-wing extremist, racist or anti-Semitic content in chats at their schools. The majority of these were isolated incidents. 89 schools reported this several times during the school year, while nine schools described it as an ongoing problem. More than two thirds of schools in the survey also stated that they had problems with right-wing extremist comments outside of class chats.
In response to the rising incidents of right-wing extremism and anti-Semitism, Feller proposed introducing more stringent measures to combat these conflicts within schools. She expressed concern that students are exposed to extremist content, including anti-Semitic materials, even within class chats.
Source: www.dpa.com
