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German Federal States — News — Schools — Education — Stuttgart — Grammar school — German Press Agency — Southwest — Baden-Württemberg — andreas black — Winfried Kretschmann — 1990s — Future — Government

State wants to return to nine-year grammar school

For years, the length of the Gymnasium in the south-west had been debated, with pressure increasing more and more recently. Now it is clear: the state wants to return to G9 in a modernized form.

,   and  ZEITUNG «AUSSIEDLERBOTE»
3 min read
A screen next to the podium reads "Dialogue process citizens' forum on the duration of the general....aussiedlerbote.de
A screen next to the podium reads "Dialogue process citizens' forum on the duration of the general secondary school". Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Education - State wants to return to nine-year grammar school

Baden-Württemberg wants to develop a new model for a nine-year grammar school. This is the result of a resolution passed by the green-black government coalition on Tuesday, which was made available to the German Press Agency. The state government is therefore open to a new G9 and is starting a process to develop such a new G8/G9 model. "We are not going to make any hasty decisions or simply return to the G9 of the 1990s. We will work out a solution that meets the requirements of our time and takes up the recommendations of the citizens' forum," said Minister President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) in Stuttgart on Tuesday.

On Monday, a citizens' forum set up by the state government on the future of the Gymnasium recommended a return to a nine-year Gymnasium in Baden-Württemberg.

The eight-year Gymnasium is currently the standard in Baden-Württemberg. It was once introduced to make pupils more competitive internationally. G9 now only exists as a pilot project at 44 state schools and at some private schools.

A return to G9 had been discussed and argued about for a long time, and the Green-Black coalition actually agreed in the coalition agreement that they did not want to hold any structural debates. Nevertheless, under pressure from the debate, the state government first showed itself open to a return to the nine-year Gymnasium in mid-June.

In addition to the Citizens' Forum, a parents' initiative is also pushing for a return to G9. The initiators had collected more than 100,000 signatures for a popular petition and submitted it to the state parliament. Parliament is now expected to have to deal with the motion next year.

According to the state government, the possible effects on other types of schools should also be taken into account when developing the new model. The financial situation must also be kept in mind, said Kretschmann. "This aspect is very important to me because it also affects the future of our children. Good education policy is dependent on a far-sighted financial policy."

Green parliamentary group leader Andreas Schwarz emphasized that in addition to the question of the length of secondary school, modern pedagogy is also important. His parliamentary group wants to give a boost to the Mint area, i.e. teaching in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology. Strengthening media education is also necessary. "Top priority" for the Greens is to strengthen elementary school and early childhood education. "There is no time to lose here, we want to implement this quickly," said Schwarz.

Kretschmann had also emphasized in the past that the greatest challenges facing the education system lay in elementary school. The coalition's resolution also states: "The governing coalition sees strengthening language education and support as well as the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic as a priority educational policy task." To this end, a package of measures will be presented for the period before school enrolment and in elementary school.

CDU party and parliamentary group leader Manuel Hagel had already called for an overhaul of the entire school system on Monday. "We need a holistic update for our education system," said Hagel. On Tuesday, he also emphasized: "We need a blueprint for the future that extends from kindergartens and daycare facilities to elementary school and secondary schools."

Read also:

  1. This decision to revive the nine-year grammar school model is a policy shift in the education sector of Baden-Württemberg, a region in the Southwest of Germany.
  2. The move towards a nine-year grammar school is opposed by some, including the CDU party, which believes that the entire education system in Baden-Württemberg needs an overhaul.
  3. The Green-Black coalition, which governs Baden-Württemberg, passed a resolution to explore the possibility of introducing a new version of the nine-year grammar school, known as G9, while avoiding a simple return to the model of the 1990s.
  4. The German Press Agency reported that Minister President Winfried Kretschmann, a member of the Green party, emphasized the need for a thoughtful approach, saying, "We will work out a solution that meets the requirements of our time."
  5. A parents' initiative in Baden-Württemberg has also been advocating for a return to G9, having collected over 100,000 signatures for a popular petition and submitting it to the state parliament.
  6. Andreas Schwarz, the Green parliamentary group leader, stated that while the length of secondary school is important, modern pedagogy, including strengthening mathematics, computer science, and language education in early childhood education, is also crucial for the future of education in Baden-Württemberg.

Source: www.stern.de

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