A Democratic Defense of the German Gemeinschaftsschule

• In Event: Analyzing challenges, innovations, and intentions in Global Citizenship Education

Proposal

Democracy around the globe is in a tenuous position, with populist regimes vying for political control to push forward agendas that run counter to democratic processes. For those concerned with the future of such institutions, and especially educationists who promote and advocate for the strengthening of democracy through practices of education, this conceptual paper presents and defends the German Gemeinschaftsschule (GMS), a local reform innovation with global significance. Though some scholars have indicated that traces of the GMS can be seen as far back as the 1950s, in recent decades, two triggers have led to a resurgence of interest in this approach to schooling that runs counter to the traditional German tripartite system (Stravropoulos 2023; Northoff 2012). The first of these triggers is the oft-cited PISA scores released by OECD in 2000 and the subsequent “PISA-Schock” that rippled across European nations, especially Germany, exposing flaws in the traditional system. In comparison with other nations, German students scored unexpectedly low, below the OECD average, especially for students with immigration backgrounds and disabilities (OECD 2016). In addition to the aftermath of PISA, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities entered into force in 2009, drawing into question the inclusivity of the German education system for students with special needs (Northoff 2012; Welti 2021; Miβling and Ückert 2015; Dörschner 2014).

The central question of democratic effectiveness regarding educational access and quality for students from marginalized backgrounds is not a question unique to Germany. Scholars across the globe grapple with similar fundamental questions of equality and inclusion for all students, while at the same time policy solutions to these issues often fall sharply across ideological divides. While in the United States, political solutions center on school choice policies and the public-private distinction, in some parts of Germany strong contestation over educational policy has played out in the implementation of Gemeinschaftsschulen, what may be characterized as a radical shift from typical conceptions of schooling. Though these ‘community schools’ have weathered significant criticism over the past decade, I argue here that if we grant that democracy is indeed desirable, then it is worthwhile -- and necessary -- to evaluate the merits of this approach to schooling against the ideals of democratic education. As a U.S.-American scholar, I am writing in conversation with the GMS to highlight a promising approach to satisfying the democratic educational ideals that we have long fallen short rather than explicitly arguing for the continued use of GMS in Germany. In the paper, I first briefly describe the traditional tripartite model of education to serve as a backdrop against which to argue for the implementation of the GMS. Then, drawing on a developing distinction between integration and inclusion in German educational thinking, I present an overview of the GMS as a concept. It is in this section that I point to the democratic elements of the GMS, both in its structure and later in the pedagogical techniques implemented by its educators. In discussion of structural and pedagogical innovations, I turn to a broader defense of democratic education, drawing primarily on the work of Amy Gutmann and John Dewey to argue that the GMS is a compelling actualization of such education and that despite legitimate criticisms regarding efficiency and effectiveness, we should not abandon but rather strengthen this approach to schooling.

Throughout the paper, I am in conversation with several relevant criticisms, attempting to stave off opposition and arguing ultimately for the relevance of the GMS as a worthwhile innovation that reveals new possibilities for democratic education in Germany, the United States and around the globe. Given that one may be inclined to question the extent to which the GMS is truly an innovation in democratic education or one worth examining from a comparative perspective, before engaging in an evaluation of these schools using democratic principles, I argue for their relevance to the comparative education community on the basis that they are both a defensible and desirable approach to education that directly addresses issues of discrimination and exclusion faced by school systems globally. I show how the combination of structural reform and progressive pedagogical elements in these schools presents a potentially appealing approach for educationists in- and outside Germany and the U.S. In my discussion of structural innovation, I also contend with a more universal criticism of progressive reform presented by proponents of traditional approaches to schooling: traditional school systems are already democratic given their implementation through democratic bodies. Here, I present an argument that traditional school systems fail to be sufficiently democratic for this line of argumentation to convincingly disarm the GMS and other similarly innovative approaches to schooling that seek to address fundamental issues of exclusion and discrimination. In the final section, examining democracy in GMS pedagogy, I speak directly to criticisms of the GMS in Germany, arguing that specific opposition to these schools in the context of Germany is echoed in general opposition to progressive education practices historically and contemporarily in the U.S. From there, I defuse the common argument that student directed learning results in overall lower achievement by defending the idea that the development of democratic dispositions is the type of learning that ultimately matters. Still, in Germany there is some legitimate concern regarding teacher training and the sustainability of what is being asked of teachers in these settings. To this point, I provide both a possible response and concede that more research in this area is warranted given the potential distance between democratic possibility and everyday reality.

In thinking about the German Gemeinschaftsschule as an experiment in democratic education, I seek to show here that its implications are far reaching. By drawing out some of the key strengths of a unique approach that poses solutions to global issues, I hope that other educational contexts, especially the United States, can find some inspiration and consider improvements in not only structural, but pedagogical innovation toward more democratic approaches to teaching and learning.

Author

• William Walker Ballard