Hessian framework guidelines for social teaching (1972)
In 1972 , Minister of Education Ludwig von Friedeburg in the German state of Hesse presented new framework guidelines for social theory , which culminated in a controversy that has become classic about political education . The subjects of social studies , history and geography were integrated in the learning target area of social studies . The first draft of the framework guidelines for social studies was presented in the autumn of 1972 and, like the guidelines for German lessons , triggered a storm of outrage in educational policy.
course
In 1970, specialist groups were set up in Hessen to develop framework guidelines for the individual subjects as quickly as possible. The new social theory was divided into four learning fields: socialization , economy, public tasks, inter-social conflicts. They were differentiated into learning objective contexts , learning objective focal points and learning objective levels and formulated for the three grades 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 in a total of 123 binding learning objectives. However, what provoked the criticism was the underlying notion of civic education.
The guidelines formulated “self-determination and co-determination” as the primary objective, namely as a political decision that is based “on the democratic principle of the Basic Law ”. Optimal participation in social decision-making processes is linked to the elimination of unequal chances in life, and from this it was justified to make the respective situation-related concretization of the general learning objective primarily on conflicts; these became the selection filter for teaching topics ( conflict pedagogy ), the learning objectives often emphasized the necessary resistance . Political education and schools should thus become instruments of social change.
In the political climate at the time, the CDU Hessen launched sharp attacks on the concept and won the state election in 1974 . Prominent and scientifically proven social democrats also presented serious criticism. Hermann Lübbe and Thomas Nipperdey criticized the unsuccessful integration of traditional school subjects, especially history; the theoretical discussion of historical studies is received inadequately, a certain history theory is monopolized out of political-ideological interest. Friedrich Minssen saw a lack of openness to scientific controversy, a preference for individual articles of the Basic Law at the expense of others, and a distorted image of society in the Federal Republic. He feared an emotional and intellectual overload of students and certified to the guidelines, they associations "in captivating manner the advantages of a prayer book with those of a Field Service Regulations ".
The withdrawal of the politically responsible through a second edition, which was presented in 1973, and later a third, which was reduced to a third of the original size, signaled the failure of the reform.
Aftermath and classification
The merging of the individual subjects of social science education into an integrative or additive overall learning area is controversial to this day. Common names today are social studies or social sciences .
The dispute over the Hessian framework guidelines for social studies was part of a dispute over school policy , which also included other fields. The introduction of the comprehensive school as a single school, the introduction of set theory in mathematics lessons and the framework guidelines for the subject German with a socially critical mandate for literature work were controversial .