The student representatives of the eastern German states complain about increasing right-wing extremism in schools. They are calling for decisive political countermeasures. But the education ministries point to existing strategies.
The 18-year-old student Stefan Tarnow is very worried. “Swastikas on tables, chairs or even on walls can be found in many classrooms.” But that’s not all: Right-wing extremist ideas are also often spread in class in debates – especially when it comes to the topic of migration.
“Instead of facts, it’s often about perceived truths,” says Tarnow. Students with whom he was in contact repeatedly reported this to him. Stefan Tarnow is spokesman for the State Council of School Students in Brandenburg and represents their interests. “Sometimes the teachers even encourage right-wing extremist ideas,” he says.
Other state student councils have also noticed that the inhibition threshold is falling and that schools are often not adequately prepared for right-wing extremist incidents. The state student councils from Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia therefore called for decisive countermeasures in a joint statement at the beginning of April.
Among other things, they want to strengthen the subjects of politics and social studies in order to provide more knowledge about the threats to democracy from right-wing extremism. In addition, further training for teachers is necessary to be prepared for dealing with right-wing extremist ideas and students who are becoming radicalized.
Confused teachers
Nina Kolleck is an educational researcher at the University of Potsdam and supports the demands of the state student councils. The professor of educational and socialization theory trains teachers herself. She often finds prospective teachers unsettled when it comes to the topic of right-wing extremism.
“Many people don’t dare to speak out when, for example, the Hitler salute is shown, because they are afraid that they will then be treated with hostility. And not just at school,” says Kolleck. It is the duty of teachers to intervene here.
Kolleck knows that many people in Brandenburg who are studying to become teachers often want to teach in rural areas and especially in their hometowns. The example of the two teachers from Burg would have intimidated many. In April 2023, they made public, among other things, swastika graffiti and Hitler salutes in a letter. The two teachers then became hostile and were forced to change schools.
Mandatory seminars too Right-wing extremism
The story of the two teachers still has an impact today. “We have to take action against this fear,” says Kolleck. She also calls for systematic training and further education for teachers and for schools to systematically deal with right-wing extremist incidents. So that the history of Burg does not repeat itself.
Like other universities, the University of Potsdam offers seminars for teachers in which they learn how to react to anti-democratic and discriminatory sayings and misanthropic incidents. “It takes an entire teaching staff to act decisively,” says Kolleck. But the seminars are not mandatory.
Things are different in Saxony. A module on political education and democracy education is mandatory for all prospective teachers of all subjects; dealing with right-wing extremism is also discussed here. The Saxon State Ministry of Science has decided this. The University of Leipzig first introduced the courses, then Dresden a year ago, and now Chemnitz is to follow.
Kolleck would like the seminars in teacher training and advanced training to become mandatory in all federal states.
Increase in right-wing extremist incidents?
There are no reliable figures on how many right-wing extremist incidents there are in schools. According to the Ministry of Education, there were 73 reported right-wing extremist or racist incidents in Saxony in 2019. Four years later there were more than twice as many, namely 149.
Other federal states such as Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg are also reporting more cases. In Brandenburg there were 123 documented right-wing extremist statements in schools in the 2022/2023 school year.
But the number of unreported cases is high, says Tim Reukauf from the Thuringian Teachers’ Association. “There are always school administrators who do not want to report right-wing extremist incidents because they fear that it will reflect poorly on their school,” says Reukauf.
More detailed documentation required
According to an unpublished survey by the Thuringian Teachers’ Association, 38 percent of the members surveyed said that since the beginning of the 2023/24 school year they had noticed that colleagues and students at their school had experienced violence that was motivated by right-wing extremism.
In 68 percent of the cases the violence came from students, in 20 percent from parents and in 12 percent from colleagues. The members surveyed stated that, at 52 percent, school students were primarily affected by the violence.
Tim Reukauf from the Thuringian Teachers’ Association finds not only the survey disturbing, but also the case reports from his colleagues. He calls for a better reporting chain from schools to school authorities to the state education ministries. “Only through more precise documentation can we see how the problem develops and act accordingly,” says Reukauf.
Ministries of Education refer to existing strategy
But the education ministries see the demand from RBB There is no new need for action due to the call from the State Student Council. Saxony-Anhalt, for example, points out, among other things, that democracy education and extremism prevention already play a central role in the further training of teachers.
The Ministry of Education in Brandenburg also lists existing and recently launched programs that are intended to strengthen teachers in dealing with right-wing extremism.