Law to democratize the German school

The law for the democratization of German schools of May / June 1946 was the legal basis for the transformation of the school system in the Soviet occupation zone (SBZ) into a single school dominated by the SED in a centralized school system. The law was repealed with the law on the socialist development of the school system in the German Democratic Republic of December 2, 1959.

Emergence

After the Second World War , the states were also restored in the Soviet Zone . The enactment of school laws was formally the task of the federal states. Since the state elections in the Soviet Zone in 1946 did not take place until October, legislation was passed by the state administrations (state governments) based on orders from the Soviet military administration in Germany (SMAD). Even if the normalization of everyday life was a high priority for the SMAD, school policy played a rather neglected role by the administration in relation to the rest of Soviet policy as a whole. Despite the formally established federal political system, a uniform, centrally prescribed regulation was the aim of SMAD's policy. That is why the state governments have passed identical laws in all five countries

content

The preamble and section 1 of the law define the general objectives of the school system. In addition to the rejection of National Socialism , love for peace, the ability to think independently, a sense of responsibility, a democratic attitude and a sense of community are mentioned. The goal of equal opportunities is particularly emphasized.

Section 2 defines school education as the exclusive responsibility of the state. Private schools were not provided for in the school system of the SBZ. Also was religious instruction defined as the task of churches and non-state schools.

Section 3 describes the structure and structure of a four-level “democratic unified school”, which consists of a kindergarten , elementary school , upper level and university . An essential point was the expansion of the elementary school to 8 years. In accordance with the reform pedagogical demands at the time of the November Revolution and at the beginning of the Weimar Republic, a single school was created which, following the Soviet model, was compulsory for all students. The structured school system was thus abolished. As a secondary school that was high school set up, which resulted in four years of university.

Lessons should follow the central curriculum . These should be specified by the German Administration for National Education . In accordance with Section 6, this institution also controlled the school supervision via guidelines , which formally remained with the federal states.

Democratic unified school

In the law on the democratization of German schools , a four-tier school structure was postulated, the components of which were built on one another and followed the same foundation of uniform guidelines for education and upbringing.

The first stage, the preliminary stage , comprised the pre-school educational institutions. The kindergartens were supposed to get the children ready for school and offered them all-round early childhood support in set theory, spatial theory, color and shape theory, motor skills, speech training, singing and painting according to a uniform state education and upbringing plan. The preliminary stage also implicitly included the day nurseries, which, however, were not integrated into the school system until 1965.

The 2nd level, the primary level , comprised the primary school , a community school without external or internal differentiation. The eight-year elementary school was the core of the school system and was based on a version of the reform-pedagogical German standard school, which was founded by the social-democratic and socialist-oriented reformers at the beginning of the Weimar Republic . Until the end of the GDR, a left-wing authoritarian pedagogy dominated, which was based on demands such as diligence, discipline, order, accuracy, perseverance and a sense of community.

The third level, the upper level , comprised, on the one hand, the vocational schools, the technical schools and, on the other hand, the course at a higher education institution with the qualification for university entrance, the secondary school. This level was also mandatory for all students. Access to the secondary school was regulated. It was not until the mid-1960s that the integrated school broke away from the focus on vocational training for all high school students.

The fourth level, the university , comprised the facilities for academic studies, i.e. universities , technical colleges , colleges of education, art colleges, music colleges and ultimately engineering colleges, which emerged from the engineering schools when the right to award the academic degree was granted.

The four-level single school structure remained de facto until 1990; the Education Act of 1965 expanded the democratic unified school into the unified socialist educational system .

Effect and criticism

The law on the democratization of German schools remained in force for 13 years and was the legal basis for bringing the school system into line in the Soviet Occupation Zone / GDR as an instrument of power of the SED. The individual aspects of the law were received differently. While the goals of the law were supported across party lines, the introduction of the single school was highly controversial.

As early as the Weimar Republic , the left, but also reform pedagogy, called for a unified school. The introduction therefore met with approval. Critics, however, feared a leveling out and a loss of level.

Web links

Text of the law (PDF file; 216 kB)

Individual evidence

^ Law on the socialist development of the school system in the German Democratic Republic
^ Gert Geißler: History of the school system in the Soviet zone of occupation and in the German Democratic Republic 1945 to 1962 . Peter Lang GmbH, Frankfurt am Main 2000, ISBN 3-631-36445-8 , p. 66 .
^ Ordinance of the Province of Saxony of May 22, 1946 on the democratization of German schools (Ordinance Gazette for the Province of Saxony, No. 23, 5. 228)
↑ Law of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania of May 23, 1946 on the democratization of German schools (Official Gazette of the State Administration of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, No. 3, p. 71)
↑ Law of the State of Saxony of May 31, 1946 on the democratization of the German school (laws, orders, ordinances, announcements of the State Administration of Saxony, No. 15, p. 210)
^ Law of the Province of Mark Brandenburg of May 31, 1946 on the democratization of the German school (Ordinance Gazette of the Provincial Administration Mark Brandenburg, No. 9, p. 155)
↑ Law of the State of Thuringia of June 2, 1946 on the democratization of the German school (Government Gazette for the State of Thuringia, 1 No. 20, p. 113)
↑ Cf. Erwin Marquardt : The law on democratic school reform. Volk und Wissen Verlag, Berlin / Leipzig 1946
↑ See, for example, the statement by the Rector of the University of Jena on the draft law and the answers to it in: Dietrich Benner, Gabriele Schulp-Hirsch: Source texts for the theory and history of reform pedagogy. 2004, ISBN 3-407-32037-X , p. 30.

swell

German Central Administration for Public Education in the Soviet Zone of Occupation Germany's Law on the Democratization of German Schools
Paragraph 1: Foreword to the law; Paragraph 2: legal text; Appendix: Curriculum with lesson tables
July 1, 1946.

German Central Administration for National Education in the Soviet Zone of Occupation in Germany Decrees and notifications 1946–1949

[1] Law on the socialist development of the school system in the German Democratic Republic

[2] Gert Geißler: History of the school system in the Soviet zone of occupation and in the German Democratic Republic 1945 to 1962 . Peter Lang GmbH, Frankfurt am Main 2000, ISBN 3-631-36445-8 , p. 66 .

[3] Ordinance of the Province of Saxony of May 22, 1946 on the democratization of German schools (Ordinance Gazette for the Province of Saxony, No. 23, 5. 228)

[4] Law of the State of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania of May 23, 1946 on the democratization of German schools (Official Gazette of the State Administration of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, No. 3, p. 71)

[5] Law of the State of Saxony of May 31, 1946 on the democratization of the German school (laws, orders, ordinances, announcements of the State Administration of Saxony, No. 15, p. 210)

[6] Law of the Province of Mark Brandenburg of May 31, 1946 on the democratization of the German school (Ordinance Gazette of the Provincial Administration Mark Brandenburg, No. 9, p. 155)

[7] Law of the State of Thuringia of June 2, 1946 on the democratization of the German school (Government Gazette for the State of Thuringia, 1 No. 20, p. 113)

[8] Cf. Erwin Marquardt : The law on democratic school reform. Volk und Wissen Verlag, Berlin / Leipzig 1946

[9] See, for example, the statement by the Rector of the University of Jena on the draft law and the answers to it in: Dietrich Benner, Gabriele Schulp-Hirsch: Source texts for the theory and history of reform pedagogy. 2004, ISBN 3-407-32037-X , p. 30.