***Education in the FRG Flashcards
What happened to schools immediately after the war?
They were temporarily shut in order to de-Nazify the curriculum and staff - were reopened in August.
Why wasn’t the education system reformed by 1949 when the FRG was set up?
Because the Western Allies could not agree on a common education policy.
What did the Allies do in May 1946?
They banned schoolbooks, films and slides which taught Nazi racial theory.
What happened to teachers?
Teachers were vetted to identify Nazis teaching universities and teacher training institutes.
By 1947, what proportion of teachers in Bavaria were ex-Nazis?
85%
How could teachers who were ex-Nazis still find work?
Moving and applying for work in another zone where they had not been banned.
Who was responsible for educational and cultural policy in the FRG?
The Länder
What was the result of regional control of education being a stumbling block?
Experiences of education were varied across West Germany.
What was the joint federal and regional committee called?
The Länder Kommission
What did the Länder Kommission fail to do?
Failed to agree on educational policies. School restructuring did not happen.
What did Brandt’s government try to introduce in 1971?
A federal framework for restructuring schools, including support for the disadvantaged, less streaming by ability, more mobility within secondary schools and a reform of the university structure.
Why did Brandt’s attempt to reform the education system fail?
It was passed by the Bundestag but did not get the majority it needed in the Bundesrat to become law.
Did the state provide free education in the FRG?
Yes - up to the end of secondary school.
What happened to the number of children attending a Gymnasium?
It rose from 850,000 in 1960 to over 2 million in 1980.
What Act was passed in 1971 and what did this do?
The Federal Education Promotion Act provided a mixture of state funding and state loans to encourage students from working class families to go to university.
