Unusual announcement from the Bavarian economy: your association is calling for geography to be strengthened in schools.
The background is the rise of “Fridays for future”.
Munich - The Association of Bavarian Business (VBW) has financed the Education Action Council for over 15 years.
Under the chairmanship of Prof. Dieter Lenzen, President of the University of Hamburg, scientists advise on schools and universities and issue reports.
The first appeared in 2007 on the subject of educational equity.
The most recent deals with “Sustainability in Education”.
“Fridays for future” made an unmistakable impression on the trade association.
However, the debate has taken a "partially inappropriate direction," says the association's general manager Bertram Brossardt, with a view to, for example, violent actions in the dispute over a motorway construction through the Dannenröder Forest / Hesse.
Objectification is necessary.
Sustainability is seldom an issue at school
To this end, the Action Council analyzed curricula, looked for "best practice examples" and formulated recommendations for action depending on the age of the pupil.
Central finding: Sustainability, in other words the teaching of environmental protection, climate protection and their dependencies on the economy, has "not yet found its way into teaching on a broad basis," the scientists complain.
Rather, it is only "individual teachers who are particularly committed in this area" who promote such topics.
The Education Action Council therefore calls for sustainability to be anchored in the Education Ministers' Conference (KMK) “in the teaching of all types of schools”.
Geography is particularly suitable here.
In the discussion about “important subjects”, it must be given greater importance and more hours.
Geography has fewer hours than history or religion
The scientists are also addressing a sore point for Bavaria.
Geography - formerly known as geography - is only a niche existence at high school, it has fewer hours in the lesson tables than, for example, history or religion.
There is no geography at all in the 8th and 9th grades.
It is much more than just memorizing rivers or capitals.
The curriculum for the 10th graders includes units on the Pacific region including earthquake problems, on the world economic power USA and on Russia - with case studies on air, soil and water pollution.
Project weeks on sustainability?
The Education Action Council also sees a need to catch up at universities.
Sustainability hardly plays a role in the course, it was "obviously not possible" to "anchor the topic in the field".
Association managing director Brossardt sees a starting point in the stronger qualification of teachers.
In addition, he encourages mandatory annual project weeks on sustainability.
- Dirk Walter