Do you know Bettina Stark-Watzinger? In the traffic light cabinet, the Liberals are responsible for the issue of education. This should be briefly remembered. Not so much because Ms. Stark-Watzinger has managed to remain largely unknown in the third year of her term in office, but because she is now causing a sensation with an idea that has little to do with her core task.
In an interview, the Education Minister demands that schools need to better prepare for crises: pandemics, natural disasters – and war. “Civil protection is immensely important; it also belongs in schools. The aim must be to strengthen our resilience,” says the minister. And of course two things are needed above all: civil defense exercises in schools and, the classic, a “relaxed relationship with the Bundeswehr”.
Since Defense Minister Boris Pistorius introduced the word “war-readiness” into the debate, the effeminate German civilian service mentality has come to an end. Everything must now become “war-ready”, not just the Bundeswehr, but also the economy, the infrastructure, the healthcare system – now apparently even the school.
So it’s come to this. We used to argue about G9 or G8 at school – will it soon be about G3? And how can you imagine the future timetable:
German, math, sport – and in the sixth hour war?
“Si vis pacem para bellum” – If you want peace, prepare for war, Cicero once said, Pistorius says today. That’s right, it would be nice if we at least spared our children from such rhetoric.
To clarify: There is absolutely nothing wrong with children and young people knowing the escape routes from their school, being able to use a fire extinguisher in an emergency and knowing where the first aid kit is. If you cover the Ukraine war in politics class. Then that’s good too.
During the GDR era, there was a school subject called “military studies” that was still known to many older people. In the 9th grade, the boys went to a so-called military camp for training, for marching and sealing, and some were even shot at. Meanwhile, the girls practiced civil defense and dragged seemingly injured students across the sports field on stretchers. This may not have hurt everyone, but for some it left semi-traumatic memories. Above all, it contributed to a problematic militarization of society that no one should seriously want back.
Most parents today would be very happy if their children were at least somewhat prepared for the peaceful part of their lives at their schools. As long as the German education system fails so regularly in this task, responsible ministers are welcome to hold back on demands about the suitability of our schools for war.
In the end, the better the education system works in its core areas, the better our society can prepare for crises. To put it more practically: Anyone who will later operate the highly complex navigation module of a Taurus rocket is better off understanding a bit of math, physics and geography.
