Education in Weimar Flashcards
Education before the war
Länder provided kindergarten for children 3-5 for an hour in the morning. Education compulsory for 6 - 14. Upper class children went to fee-paying, working class went to volkesschule. Most schools were confessional schools (faith based). Most working class left after 14 and started work as education was expensive. Supported status quo.
Compulsory Education Post-War
Government wanted fairer education system with a mixed, non-confessional intake and no RE. Set up compulsory Grundschule for 6-10. Non-confessional state schools set while federal education law was being discussed. Confessional schools ran as private schools. Confessional, common and secular schools bill proposed in 1927 but not agreed to
German Schools 1931
29,020 Protestant schools 15,256 Catholic schools 97 Jewish schools 8,921 common schools 295 secular schools
Issues with RE post-war
Government stopped clerical inspections of schools and allowed parents to remove children from RE. People in towns and cities approved but those in rural objected. Those who approved valued teaching religion due to it teaching basic morality. Education Articles were a compromise as parties in Assembly could not agree.
1927 proposed bill
Proposed confessional, common and secular schools set up on equal footing as long as they were requested by parents of at least 40 children. Children in common schools have religious education in own faith. Reich Parent’s League supported bill buy Volkskirche Association of Evangelical Freedom opposed it. Some relieved at level of educational provision others thought religion should be a matter of religious bodies and not school. Bill could never be agreed to.
Education 10+ post-war
Education was paid for. Child’s career decided at age of 10 depending on what type of school they go. All students wanting to go university had to pass Abitur exam.
University post-war
Weimar constitution principle of freedom of choice meant universities carried on as before so rest of school structure had to fit in with them. Universities had their own corporations which formed nationwide associations.
Duelling corporations
Differences were settled by a sword fight were popular with the sons of wealthy landowners. Non-duelling corporations were seen as socially inferior. In 1928, 56% of students were members of a corporations some of which excluded people by race or social class. Membership was important because support or lack of it from those who had been in the same corporation affected a person’s career
