The Modern Curriculum: A Revolution in Education?

politics

For many activists, those interested in politics, parents and people who have just finished school, one thing is clear: we need new subjects. Preferably one for each problem. At the same time, the basic subjects should of course continue to be taught. How exactly all this can be packed into a timetable is little debated.

Which subjects would really make sense? How should the timetable be reformed so that the students are fit for life? Watson spoke to educational and youth researchers about this.

From the point of view of youth researcher Klaus Hurrelmann, one thing is clear: School life has to change. Both in terms of content and in terms of personnel deployment. “The shortage of teachers will increase dramatically in the near future,” he says. What is needed is reform. It doesn’t have to be new subjects that appear on the curriculum – it would make more sense to introduce subject areas.

Because it is clear that there are deficits in many secondary schools in the areas of economics and finance, sustainability and health or digital competence and computer science. “If schools depict the real world and teach children and young people to move around in it – then very important areas must not be missing.”, says the expert. However, this cannot be achieved with conventional subjects.

Instead of subjects, more subject areas

Even with the conventional training to become a dual subject teacher, that will not work. After all, those at the universities learn the content that is taught in schools today. It would make more sense, says Hurrelmann, to incorporate the new content into existing subjects.

Instead of individual subjects, the future could be taught in subject areas.Image: pexels / tima miroshniechenko

The respective teachers could then be supported by experts – Hurrelmann calls them lecturers. In the area of ​​law, for example, by lawyers, in the case of taxes by employees of the tax authorities. The teachers would also have to receive further training so that they become fit in the key areas – and are able to have an overview of the specialist areas that border on their actual field.

So Hurrelmann calls for a revolution in the classroom. How exactly does he envision the future of the curriculum? He says:

The conversion of the school landscape takes some time – and this conversion phase in turn would be a burden for the teachers. Because the move away from subjects towards learning areas, the training of the lecturers – all of this takes some time. However, Hurrelmann assumes that with this conversion the workload for the teachers could be reduced in the long term.

The concerns of children and young people are Klaus Hurrelmann’s area of ​​expertise.Image: Felix Zahn/photothek.net / Felix Zahn

Online lessons as a relief measure

And the students could be made fit for life after school. To further reduce the workload, Hurrelmann brings up online learning. He says:

The students could edit the content independently and the teachers would be relieved.

But how can the school system be transformed? According to Hurrelmann, head teachers could already decide today to deviate from the curriculum and teach in subject areas. This requires approval from the school inspectorate.

However, according to the youth researcher, it would make more sense if the Conference of Ministers of Education (KMK) provided a legal framework. And the schools are rebuilt from above. “The shortage of teachers will certainly be the most important driver for reforms.”

Reforms are also difficult to implement at the university

Education expert and author Aladin El-Mafaalani is not convinced of new subjects either. “It would take up to ten years for a new subject to be introduced,” says El-Mafaalani. Then: “A new subject needs a curriculum. Appropriate legal resolutions are required for this – and the universities and teacher training colleges must then also offer the subject.”

In the end, El-Mafaalani is certain that nobody would be satisfied: neither the universities nor teachers – not even those who asked for the respective subject. What is neglected in the debate is the fact that teacher training is just as difficult to reform as the schools themselves.

Sociologist Aladin El-Mafaalani’s specialty is education – and justice.Photo: imago images/ Horst Galuschka

From the expert’s point of view, it makes more sense to consider the content than to talk shop about new subjects. “There are topics that are highly relevant,” says El-Mafaalani. Like Hurrelmann, he suggests treating the content across disciplines. Alternatively, El-Mafaalani also brings up a compulsory elective offer in the afternoon – on a voluntary basis, without grades, but more in-depth.

In a practical example, this would mean: Economics could be built into math lessons. Or they could be offered as a business game that stimulates the children’s entrepreneurial spirit in the afternoon.

El-Mafaalani says: “We could also say that since a lot of what we see as economic education are laws and contracts, that could be dealt with in German lessons – alongside poetry and other types of text.” Biology, physics and chemistry could also be combined to form the subject of natural sciences. “It’s not a new subject, it’s just a rethink.”

This is how it works at vocational schools today:

“They work on a learning objective in an interdisciplinary way. The problem, however, is that it entails major organizational challenges.”

Because teachers are not trained in such a way that they can teach all subjects of a learning field. There is a qualification and a where:man power problem.

Reforms could relieve teachers and make the profession more popular.Image: pexels / campus productions

El-Mafaalani disagrees with youth researcher Hurrelmann on this point. He says: “With the teacher shortages we have, such innovative endeavors are doomed to failure.”

Nevertheless, he also sees the potential that emanates from the schools – namely when they decide to offer more than is obligatory by the school authorities. But it is also clear that not all schools (can) seize this freedom. Be it due to lack of staff or lack of money.

However, it is already the case today that relevant topics are dealt with in an interdisciplinary way. In this context, the expert mentions climate change and democracy. El Mafaalani says:

“One can say that we can further strengthen this. But in principle, these interdisciplinary topics have existed for a long time. Let’s take climate change, for example: Fridays for Future only exist because everyone at school learns about climate change and experiences it at the same time that far too little is actually being done.”

The climate movement Fridays for Future was founded by students.Image: Getty / Omer Messinger

The problem is that these issues are not covered in all schools. El-Mafaalani mentions special schools and secondary schools here. The focus there is on the students learning the basics – the challenges there are sometimes too great for additional topics to be discussed.

Whether with afternoon offers, new teaching methods or Hurrelmann’s revolution in education: LA lack of teachers and outdated curricula make it clear that something needs to change in the education system. And with a view to secondary, special needs and focal schools, it is clear that this change should also take educational equity into account.