Weimar Germany - Education Flashcards
What were secular schools?
Non-religious schools.
What were common schools?
A school that took children of all religious faiths and taught their separate religion in separate classes.
What was a confessional school?
A public school committed to a particular religious faith which could run privately in Weimar Germany. There were different confessional schools for different religions but mainly Protestant, Catholic and Jewish.
What were the Weimar Constitution’s goals for education?
- moral education
- personal development
- vocational training
- a common, fair and integrated educational system that served all children regardless of their background
Why was there a move towards removing church control over schools?
Religious schools tended to privilege some students. At primary level, schools were not allowed to select according to ability or religious affiliation but at secondary level some religious private schools remained.
What were the two types of school?
Elementary (6-9 years)
Secondary (9-14 years)
Education was compulsory until 14.
How did the Weimar government phase out religious education?
Put a stop to clerical inspections of schools, school prayer and allowed parents to remove their children from religious education.
How did the Weimar introduce compulsory and free education?
By setting up the 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘭𝘦 for children aged 6-9 years.
What did the 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘭𝘦 do?
Prepared all students for future secondary education and gave all students the opportunity for higher education at university level.
Fee-paying preparatory schools were abolished.
Who remained in control of education?
The Länder
How did the Weimar government try to set up a national system?
In 1927, a bill put forward to the Reichstag proposed that confessional, common and secular schools be set up on an equal footing and allow churches to play a greater tole in education. However, the bill did not pass as its contents could not be agreed.
By the end of the Weimar Republic, how many schools were faith based?
Around 80% of schools, so the government didn’t really end up phasing out religious schools (primary)
Despite the Weimar government trying to introduce a federal school law in 1921 and 1925, what happened?
The Reichstag couldn’t agree on its principles and the education system remained diverse under the direction of the Länder, providing a wide variety of education.
How did the government attempt to make education fairer in secondary schools?
Introduced Aufbauschule to offer a gymnasium type education to poor children who couldn’t pay.
In secondary schools, what could churches do?
Could continue running private schools (no longer had the right to run state schools)
As a result of the government try to phase out religious schools, how did Catholics and Protestants start to feel?
Started to feel that democracy was essentially anti-christian and this feeling contributed to the growing disillusionment with the WR.
What school system did the WR introduce?
A three part secondary school system (Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium) that determined career.
What was a Hauptschule?
A school that students attended for 5 years in order to go on to do apprenticeships or trade, preparing students for vocational school.
What was a Realschule?
A school that students attended for 6 years in order to go into business or technical training.
What was a Gymnasium?
A school that students attended for 9 years to secure the qualifications to go to university (so if you were clever)
What did the Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium system mean for a child’s career?
That a child’s career was decided from the age of 9.
What did all students have to do if they wanted to go to university?
Pass the Arbitur exam. These were often fee paying.
Radical Education: Who was Rudolf Steiner?
One of the most famous educational reformers of the period.
Radical Education: What did Rudolf Steiner argue?
That schools should be independent of government or the church. Schools should simply serve the interests of the students and should fulfil people as human beings rather than be servants of the state.
Radical Education: How many schools did Rudolf Steiner open between 1919 - 1925?
4 schools. They all rejected hierarchy and emphasised whole body learning.
