![[Table of Contents]](/icons/up.gif){kind=icon}
Parental involvement. Annual or semiannual parent-teacher nights (Elternabende) are the most common way in which parents are involved in their child's education. During these evenings, parents meet their child's teacher(s) and have the opportunity to discuss their child's performance, attitude towards school, and special needs, if any. In addition to parent-teacher nights, there are several other means for interested parents to become involved in their child's school. One such possibility is the parent council (Schulelternbeirat), a cooperative body that works with the school administration and teachers somewhat like the U.S. Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). The parent council is elected each year and serves the function of representing parent interests at official and unofficial school meetings or whenever important school decisions are made. Members of the parent council are elected from each class by the parents in attendance at parent-teacher night at the start of the school year. A "class" is a group of 30 or so students, not an entire grade level. Thus, there might be four 10th-grade classes at a school, and consequently four parent representatives from the 10th grade on the parent council. Parents of students who are age 18 or older are not eligible for election to the council. The parent council elects a chairperson and a deputy chair and then meets roughly bimonthly. Parent council members at several schools said that they generally operate by reaching a consensus on most issues. In addition to being the elected "voice" of the parents, the council also serves as a channel of informal communication between teachers, school administration, and parents. In some cases, the parent council may assume the additional task of fundraising. For example, the chair of the parent council at a vocational Gymnasium said that the council raised money to buy a new piano for the school's music room.
Another formal body in which parents may become involved is the school council (Schulkonferenz). Introduced by recent legislation in some states, the school council consists of five elected parent representatives, five elected teacher representatives, and the school principal ex officio. The council meets several times a year to discuss issues such as curriculum changes, budgetary concerns, and participation in outside research projects. In addition, the school council holds discussions on issues brought to its attention by teachers or by the parent council.
Lastly, some schools have an informal group known as the parent "table" (Elternstammtisch), which meets in a public location, such as a restaurant or pub. Any interested parties are welcome to join the forum and voice their opinions. Often, there is a core group of participants who come regularly to the meetings. In many cases, this core group includes the school principal and one or more teachers (who might also be parents of students at the school). The parent table is a chance for parents who are not comfortable with approaching the parent council to bring up issues of concern in a less threatening forum. These issues might then be discussed at the next parent council meeting.
Parental involvement at different types of school. The role that parents play in their children's education differs drastically from one type of secondary school to the next, a point made clear by teachers, students, and parents at all school types. Also, the formal and informal ways in which parents are involved in their children's education varies with the age of the child. German students are considered legal adults at the age of 18. This is important, because many students in the upper grades at Gymnasium and especially at the vocational school are 18 or older. A vocational Gymnasium teacher mentioned that if he has to send a "warning notice" for poor performance to a student who is 18, he simply hands the notice to the student, who signs it herself or himself. A student who is 18 also signs his or her own absentee excuses. Legally, parents of "adult" students are not formally involved in school at all. For example, there is no parent-teacher night for students who are over 18. Of course, the parents of these students may still be involved informally in their education.
Parents of Hauptschule students are usually involved very little in their children's education. Without exception, Hauptschule teachers complained that hardly any parents attend parent-teacher nights. For example, one Haupt/Realschule teacher said he is lucky if 2 or 3 out of 25 parents from his Hauptschule class attend parent-teacher night. Teachers said they were often faced with the dilemma of having to "raise" students who are "growing up on the streets" as well as teach them. Teachers at one Haupt/Realschule visited were in agreement in their belief that lack of parental interest and involvement is a phenomenon stemming from the family situations of the socially underprivileged:
The kids here at the Hauptschule, they don't come from families where everyone gets along and Grandma still makes breakfast in the morning. That's history man, that's not the reality today, here, in this school. (Hauptschule teacher)
Parents of Realschule students participate more regularly in parent-teacher nights than do Hauptschule parents. For example, the same teacher at a Haupt/Realschule said that he can expect as many as 10 out of 30 parents from his Realschule class to attend parent-teacher night. In addition, teachers said that parents of Realschule students are more likely to check on their children's homework and show interest in their grades. Still, none of the students from the Realschule said that their parents help them with homework or other assignments very often (with the exception of one student whose mother is a teacher). In several cases, Realschule students said that their parents are busy "working all the time" and do not have the time to be more involved.
Parents of Grundschule students, especially in third and fourth grades, tend to take a more active role in their child's education. Teachers emphasized that this is often the case because parents have the hope that their child will be able to go to the Gymnasium in fifth grade. In the state where Central City is located, parents are able to decide themselves which type of secondary school their child will attend. In other states, grades and the teacher's recommendation determine the choice of secondary school. However, in either case, parents are usually motivated to see their child attend the best type of secondary school possible. In addition, teachers said that parents of Grundschule students generally feel comfortable with the content of the subjects their child is learning and can more easily assist with homework if necessary.
Of all parents, those of Gymnasium students are the most likely to be involved in the workings of school and in their child's education. This was confirmed by teachers, students, and parents from all types of secondary schools. For example, one Haupt/Realschule teacher lamented that not only does the Haupt/Realschule lose the best students, who go to the Gymnasium after fourth grade, but also that "the best parents go with them." Most parents of Gymnasium students said they regularly attend parent-teacher nights. Gymnasium teachers agreed, emphasizing that they have near perfect attendance at parent-teacher nights.
Parental support at home. Many parents of secondary school students said that the primary way in which they supported their child's education was by providing a safe, quiet environment in which their child could learn. However, most parents did not mention spending much time helping their child with his or her homework. Students, especially in the upper grades, are often considered to be academically independent and not in need of assistance with homework or assignments. For example, the mother of a 13th-grader at a Gymnasium said that her daughter sets her own study schedule and confers on her own with teachers, when necessary. Rather than helping with school assignments, this mother emphasized her role as someone who listens to her daughter's personal problems and runs the household.
While many teachers expressed the wish that parents would check to see that their children complete their homework, few teachers, if any, believed it was necessary or desirable for parents to help their children with homework. In fact, the explicit attitude at one Gesamtschule was that asking parents to help with their child's homework would introduce inequity into the system, as some parents would cooperate and others would not. Teachers at this school believed there is ample time for students to complete assignments during the school day, and school policy discourages assigning homework.
Perhaps more important than assisting or checking on homework, however, is the way in which parents interact with their children and support their school activities; in other words, the parental style. Several studies have indicated that parents who have an "authoritative" style, consisting of a combination of responsiveness and demandingness, are more likely to foster academic achievement among their children (Steinberg et al. 1992; Dornbusch et al. 1987). Authoritative parenting includes high acceptance of a child's strengths and weaknesses and a high level of supervision, while at the same time granting a large degree of psychological autonomy. While by no means always the case, this description of an authoritative parenting style best matches the stated and observed behavior of parents of Gymnasium students. Moreover, an authoritative parenting style is correlated with a high level of parental school involvement.
One Haupt/Realschule teacher thought about the issue of parental support from the students' point of view, and commented on how difficult it is for a student to succeed without parental support:
Students who always get good grades come from a home which cares about them and always reinforces success. Imagine a student who never gets that feedback! How can that student do well in school? It takes a special person to ignore parents' attitudes about school and life and do well in school! Parents often do not realize that they can do a lot of damage.
Family structure and interaction. The most frequent reason that teachers gave for adolescent problems and poor school performance was lack of family support or lack of parental interest in their children. A Haupt/Realschule teacher said the families of many of his students have "fallen apart." According to this teacher, in many cases parents have simply stopped trying to raise their children, leaving "more and more children on their own."
These sentiments were echoed by other teachers. One Haupt/Realschule teacher said that he believes most behavioral and performance problems in school stem from a troubled family situation:
The amount of problems that teachers have to deal with has increased dramatically in the last few years. And I can trace all sorts of problems we have in school – vandalism, aggression, violence, poor performance, absenteeism, etc. – back to the family situation in most cases. . . .The basic cause of most problems is that many children no longer have a trusted person at home with whom they can speak. The kids suffer starting at a young age.
When the family falls apart, the student's school achievement naturally suffers also. But the problem is that as a teacher you can do nothing to change a student's family situation. One is helpless. The only thing that one can do is to be friendly, perhaps to offer to talk to a student if he or she wants to. But we are fighting a losing battle.
"Neglect" (Verwahrlosung) was a word mentioned time and again by teachers and parents from all types of secondary schools. A Gymnasium teacher said she believes that the number and extent of social contacts for children is continuing to diminish. She emphasized the importance of positive social contacts for adequate development of self-esteem and social orientation. In fact, she believes that children growing up in social isolation and neglected by their parents make the most ready targets for extremist groups, both right- and left-wing. Another Gymnasium teacher put it succinctly when he said: "My impression is that children in Germany are morally and spiritually neglected by their parents and teachers."
Some parents and teachers blamed this state of affairs on the fact that there is an ever-increasing number of dual income families, leading to a greater number of "latchkey kids" (Schlüsselkinder). Little discipline is enforced on these children, who have free access to cable TV and spending money.
I often have the feeling that a child was nursed as an infant, then weaned, and then placed somewhere in a corner or in front of a TV. In other words, parents don't pay much attention to their children. (Haupt/ Realschule teacher)
The father of a vocational school student said parents used to take a more active role in "promoting their child's development," but now many are too busy or are not interested enough to put the energy into raising their children correctly. Similarly, the mother of a student in the Gesamtschule said that the problems German youth face stem largely from a lack of orientation. Parents are no longer able to discipline their children because they have very little discipline themselves, she said, and their lives are too hectic for them to sit down and think about how their children are developing. In addition, she believes that many parents value their own leisure time more than they value spending time with their children. She added: "Money and material things are a poor substitute for parental time and interest."
The "class" system. German schools divide incoming students into "classes" which usually remain together over the course of many years. For example, a Hauptschule might divide 120 incoming fifth-graders into 4 classes, 5A, 5B, 5C and 5D. The following year, class 5A becomes 6A. Thus, students spend a great deal of their time in school with a fixed group of between 25 and 30 peers. Classes are sometimes split, however, when new students come to the school and the size of the class becomes too large. In addition, students in the upper grades at the Gymnasium follow a course system, which in effect, disperses the class into different courses according to interests.
Teachers and principals from several schools were quick to point out that the "class" system is a deliberate attempt to help make students feel comfortable in school. Spending so much time with a fixed group of peers fosters mutual trust and understanding. According to teachers, one of the most difficult times in a young person's school career is the transition made after fourth grade, when students from one Grundschule class (who have been together for 4 years) are split up and attend different types of secondary school. Wanting to remain with friends was one reason frequently cited by students and their parents concerning their choice of secondary school. In particular, students who go to Gymnasium in fifth grade while most of their Grundschule classmates go to Realschule may have a difficult time adapting. The mother of a student who is now in the eighth grade at a Gymnasium said that in fifth grade her daughter cried every day in school and at home.
Peer groups and attitudes toward school. At the secondary school level, students at each type of school suggested that students develop a sense of group identity based on their common school experiences. Most students from the Gymnasium readily expressed negative stereotypes of students at the Realschule or Hauptschule. For example, they said that Realschule students need to have things explained in concrete terms in order to understand, and that Hauptschule students are lazy. In contrast, Gymnasium students identified themselves as abstract, logical thinkers, capable of solving problems on their own. These attitudes are reinforced by teachers, parents, and society in general. For example, parents and teachers often expressed the attitude that a certain type of person is "suited" (geeignet) for the Gymnasium, while a different type is suited for Realschule. However, the stereotypes run both ways. Realschule students often stressed proudly that they were "practically-oriented" or "artistically-inclined" individuals, while at the same time expressing disdain for the "abstract" or "intellectual" Gymnasium students.
According to teachers in East City from both a Gymnasium and an adjacent combined Haupt/Realschule that share a common yard, the two schools had to schedule breaks for students at different times. When students from the Gymnasium and Haupt/Realschule previously had breaks at the same time, there were often fights between them. Since the breaks have been scheduled at different times during the day, the frequency of fights has diminished.
In addition to between-school rivalries and divisions, students within one school often further subdivide themselves into various groups or cliques. Peer groups provide social reference points for adolescents, help to establish norms of behavior, and thus have an impact on school performance (Petersen, Leffert, & Hurrelmann 1993). For example, students who belong to academically-oriented cliques consistently perform better in school than do peers in nonacademic cliques (Steinberg & Darling 1994). Gymnasium teachers noted that their best students often study together with their friends. In some cases, interested and motivated students may form a project group (AG) with or without the supervision of a teacher to examine a particular issue in greater detail.
Substance use. One significant area of peer influence is substance use. The interviews made clear that there is a large variation in the degree of substance use, depending on the type and location of secondary school and the age of students. For example, students at a Gymnasium in a small town reported knowing "one or two" students who smoked hashish "once in a while" and never at school. In stark contrast, students at urban schools often said that drugs are a problem:
Everyone has smoked hashish. That's almost like smoking tobacco or drinking alcohol. But I mean, in the last school I was at, practically everyone smoked hash at school. A lot also took speed or popped pills. (Twelfth-grade student at an urban vocational Gymnasium)
The same student said that the drug scene at his school and others was "bad and getting worse." He and his classmate made it clear that they were not just talking about marijuana use; rather, they meant all kinds of drugs – tranquilizers, amphetamines, cocaine, LSD, and Ecstasy, in addition to hashish. One student's recommendation, an opinion shared by many young people, is to legalize drugs "as in the Netherlands" so that they can be controlled. This student, however, drew a sharp line between the drug scene in the schools and the heroin community in major cities:
I think the real problem is that there are a lot of students who first turn to drugs once in a while on the weekend to escape from stress. Then they start using drugs during the week, and 1 day they might try heroin, or something like that. Of course, there is a world of difference between heroin and other drugs. The heroin scene is really bad, but the other drugs, well, they are taken by totally normal people – university students, school students, and people who are working. But it is really bad when you get messed up, because you end up not sleeping at all, you can't stand being with people, you don't like yourself anymore.
Several students mentioned that use of the "designer drug" Ecstasy (a synthetic amphetamine derivative) is often associated with going to discos where Techno music is played. Teachers said that Ecstasy is particularly a problem because many adolescents are not aware of its harmful effects. Several students said that Ecstasy is widely available at parties and discos, and many students are of the opinion that the "little blue pill" is safe. In fact, the image of Ecstasy as a safe and "cool" drug is reinforced in youth magazines such as Bravo, one of the most popular youth magazines in Germany and other European countries. For example, in a Bravo series called "Full Speed," which is billed as a "photo love story," a young girl becomes a successful pop star after taking Ecstasy. Before taking the pill, she asks whether it is "very dangerous." The answer is: "That's cool stuff. You're gonna feel great!" ("Full Speed" Bravo 1994, p. 44).
Younger students, even at urban schools, were less aware of drug problems at their school. For example, in response to the question of whether she knew any people at her school who take drugs, an eighth-grade student at an urban Hauptschule in an underprivileged neighborhood said she knows a lot of kids who smoke cigarettes. Upon further prompting, it appeared that she knew of no one who used any drugs other than tobacco or alcohol. Her classmate was equally unaware of fellow students using drugs.
A Realschule teacher offered the theory that drugs were more of a problem at the Hauptschule and the Gymnasium than at the Realschule due to socioeconomic and cultural factors. He attributes drug use at the Hauptschule to the fact that Hauptschule students typically come from socially disadvantaged families. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Gymnasium students, who typically come from more advantaged backgrounds, may turn to drugs because of boredom or the urge to experiment. According to this teacher, the middle-class Realschule student has the least inclination to turn to drugs:
[At the Realschule] there are students with drug problems, but these students do not account for even 1 percent. At the Gymnasium and at the Hauptschule drugs are relatively common. . . . In order to understand this, one must understand the students' psychology. The Realschule student is. . . a well-behaved, ambitious, and upright kid. The Hauptschule student is very often from a lower social class background with the problems of families in this class. . . . These things can be compensated for with drugs. And Gymnasium students are intelligent, very independent, and agile. They see drugs partially as a necessity in order to satisfy their high-spun ideas and ideals.
In contrast to illegal drugs, use of alcohol and tobacco is very common among German adolescents. The legal drinking age is 16, and many students said that a common leisure activity was going to a pub with their friends. Smoking is very popular, especially among older secondary school students and university students. "Rolling your own" is a common social activity during short breaks during the school day. Students in the upper grades at all types of secondary schools were observed to stand chatting in small groups in the school yard during breaks, during which time many reached for their tobacco pouch and rolled a cigarette.
Smoking in Germany is not much stigmatized at this time. While most people seem aware of the health dangers associated with smoking, very few restaurants and cafés have nonsmoking sections, and schools still regularly provide a smoking room or a smoking area somewhere on the school grounds. Although there is a legal smoking age, clerks do not regularly check identification, and cigarette machines are widespread.
Student responses tend to support the results of previous studies of substance use among German adolescents, although the urban environment of students interviewed probably influenced their experience with substances. Studies have indicated that the reported use of illegal drugs among German secondary school students has declined dramatically since the 1970's. Whereas in the 1970's illegal drug use (mainly hashish) was reported by up to 20 percent of adolescents aged 15 to 18, in 1990 only 5 percent of youths aged 12 to 25 reported using illegal drugs. Alcohol consumption among German adolescents also decreased steadily from the mid-1970's until 1986, when it reached a plateau. In 1990, according to a survey of youth aged 12 to 25, 40 percent of young people had consumed beer in the previous week, 15 percent wine, and 6 percent hard liquor. There were also notable gender differences in patterns of alcohol consumption. While 60 percent of males aged 18 to 20 reportedly consumed beer during the previous week, only 20 percent of females in this age group did so (Silbereisen, Robins, & Rutter 1993).
Sexuality. Another area of vital importance in regard to peer influence and interaction is sexuality. Starting in Grundschule, German schools offer lessons in sex education, which deal primarily with health issues, such as pregnancy and AIDS. According to Petersen, Leffert and Hurrelmann (1993), teenage pregnancy is not a widespread problem in Germany. However, there are serious negative consequences for those adolescents who do become parents, since further education and employment are usually postponed. Only one teacher, from a Haupt/Realschule, mentioned that a student in her seventh-grade class left school because of pregnancy and has not returned. In general, schools attempt to combat the problems of teen pregnancy and AIDS with awareness programs, which include special courses and informational displays in lobbies and classrooms. For example, the student café at a Gesamtschule featured a poster describing how to use a condom to reduce the risk of HIV infection.
However, despite the publicity and the abundance of information about prevention of AIDS, both inside and outside of school, students indicated that the "fear of AIDS" has not caused most adolescents to change their behavior. One student said that adolescents act on the premise that they are "immortal" and mentioned a lack of concern among his acquaintances regarding the use of condoms and the discussion of prior sex partners:
Everyone talks about [AIDS], everyone is afraid, but when it comes down to practice, I don't think people take it too seriously. Maybe you think about it at first, I mean using a condom and everything, but when you are lying next to your girlfriend in bed, once it gets that far, how can you talk about AIDS? It's an insult. (Twelfth-grade vocational Gymnasium student)
Several parents voiced concern about their daughter getting pregnant or becoming HIV infected. For example, the mother of a 14-year-old girl in the eighth grade at a Gymnasium said she is worried her daughter will associate with "the wrong group of people" and possibly get involved with drugs or experiment with sex. She confronts this problem by talking openly to her daughter about sex, pregnancy and AIDS, and hopes that her daughter will confide in her before she considers having sex for the first time.
Graffiti on a desk at a Gesamtschule demonstrate a lack of concern about AIDS among adolescents, or at least show a nonchalance about the risk of infection. The following verse was etched onto a desktop by a budding poet:
Junge habe Mut/ Junge sei stark/
Benutze kein Gummi/ und spar' dir die Mark
[Boys be brave/ boys be strong/
don't use a rubber/ and save yourself a Mark]
This macho attitude is also reflected in articles published in the youth magazine Bravo. The openness with which Bravo treats teen sexuality is notable. For example, a recent Bravo issue features an article entitled "Love with Peggy and Chris – the first time." In this article, a real teenage couple, Peggy (15) and Chris (17) talk about their sexual experiences. Chris describes, for example, how he first had sex when he was 12 with a girl of 16. He says of the experience: ". . . .the next day I went and told my father. At first he was speechless, but then he was somehow proud of me. And then I was proud of myself, too." ("Liebe mit Peggy und Chris" Bravo 1994, p. 21).
The article is an information and advice column for teenagers who are contemplating having sex for the first time. While there are plenty of warnings about the emotional dangers of sex, as well as the negative (social) effects of unwanted pregnancy, there is strikingly no mention at all of AIDS. The article describes how to have sex, what to do to make it more pleasurable, and includes the details of sexual physiology, without discussing the health risks and costs to the people involved.
Unemployment and poverty. Teachers painted a rather dismal picture of the family situation of adolescents, especially in the new states of former East Germany. For example, a Haupt/Realschule teacher in East City talked about her students' lack of motivation to learn. When prompted for reasons for this lack of motivation, she cited social and family factors, such as high unemployment, poor economic prospects, lack of parental involvement and support, and lack of role models. She said that most students simply have not understood yet that they need a school diploma to find a decent job. Moreover, she said that many students have already given up on themselves. "When they receive a 'C' in math, they tell me they don't care, since they wouldn't find a job anyway."
Students see that their parents are unemployed and are drinking all the time. Rents are increasing but not the condition or comfort of apartments. They are afraid of the future and don't know what to do with themselves. (Haupt/Realschule teacher)
Unemployment is a serious problem in Germany; as of January 1995, the national average was over 10 percent. Unemployment in eastern Germany was even higher, averaging 14.7 percent, whereas in the western states it was 8.9 percent ("Im Januar fast 300,000 Arbeitslose mehr" 1995). In a recent survey of economic conditions in the new states conducted by the Federal Youth Ministry, 40 percent of youth in former East Germany reported that they were currently experiencing "financial difficulties." This subjective judgment is supported by the statistic that one out of every three social welfare recipients in the eastern states is under 18 years old. However, there are indications that the economic situation in the new states is improving, at least for many, if not for all. For example, the percentage of families with children with a net monthly income of between 3,000—5,000 DM (about $2,000—3,300) tripled from less than 25 percent in 1991 to 68 percent in 1993. Fifteen percent reported having a net monthly income of over 5,000 DM ($3,300). Still, a large number of families with children (17 percent) reported a net monthly income of less than 3,000 DM ($2,000). Furthermore, 16 percent of single parents with children in the new states had a monthly net income of less than 1,000 DM ($660) in 1993 ("Junge Menschen im Osten zufrieden" 1994). See the table below.
| Couples with children | Percent | Single parents with children | Percent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| less than 3,000 DM ($2,000) | 17 | less than 1,000 DM ($660) | 16 | |
| 3,000—5,000 DM ($2,000—3,300) | 68 | 1,000—2,500 DM ($660—1,650) | 59 | |
| more than 5,000 DM ($3,300) | 15 | more than 2,500 DM ($1,650) | 25 | |
SOURCE: Adapted from "Junge Menschen im Osten zufrieden" 1994.
Parents and students also expressed concern about unemployment. The father of two Gymnasium students said that he worries about whether his two children will be able to find the kind of secure jobs that existed in the past. "The labor market looks increasingly volatile. Jobs are no longer as secure as they once were." A Gesamtschule teacher said that the dismal employment prospects in many fields are causing young people to become "disoriented towards their career," having to settle for second, third, or fourth choice jobs rather than being able to realize their ideal career. Similarly, a Realschule teacher talked about the social effects of a lack of orientation:
There is too little attention and warmth. It has become very inhumane in society. There is a lack of a sense of purpose. [Young people ask themselves] how can I be happy? Why am I here? In which direction should I develop myself?
Finally, some teachers worry about the direction German society is heading in general:
Our economic system doesn't provide much encouragement for young people. In terms of people it's a "disposable" system. Qualified people are being tossed aside. This trend cannot continue. I fear that it could easily lead to a revolution. After World War II, we built a social state in Germany based on peace. This social state is now in danger. (Haupt/ Realschule teacher)
The media and popular culture. Criticism of another important societal influence, the popular media, was readily heard in discussions with teachers and parents. Most often, parents and teachers said they believed the level of violence in the media was excessive, causing increased anxiety and aggression among children. The availability of pornographic videos was also deemed a problem. A Haupt/Realschule teacher said that violent films and sex films are a problem because after watching them, children lose sight of the boundary between reality and fantasy. She cited the example of a girl in her class who had a foul vocabulary and made lewd body movements, which, according to this teacher, she had learned by watching pornographic films. She said of the girl: "She had lost the capacity for human gentleness."
In urban neighborhoods, students are sometimes confronted with media violence and pornography on their way to school. For example, students attending an Grundschule visited in Central City often walk past a sex shop which is located only half a block away from the school. Among other things, pornographic pictures are featured in the shop window. Teachers were generally at a loss for solutions to the serious and widespread problem of sex and violence in the media. A teacher at a Haupt/Realschule shrugged, saying, "Violence is a part of our media culture and it seems, unfortunately, like it is here to stay."
While the extent of violent content in the media was most often criticized, teachers, and parents also complained that the mass media, in and of itself, exerts a negative influence on children. Namely, the media cause over-stimulation, erode the capacity for critical thought, and lead to over-consumption. The father of an eighth-grade Gymnasium student proclaimed that "television castrates the imagination." Others concurred with his view. Further, he added that one of the greatest problems facing German youth was the "lack of opportunities for 'real' communication between people," a situation brought on by the mass media which only allows for "indirect" communication. These negative effects of the media, especially television and video, he said, pertain to the medium itself and are not dependent on content. Television is a passive form of receiving information, which dulls creativity regardless of the quality of programming. However, the content may have its own harmful effects. For example, he said that television promotes an "advertising culture, where consumption is valued above all else, leading to the elitist attitude that you have to look a certain way or drive a certain car to be successful."
Many teachers and parents brought up the point that the media dull the capacity for critical thought. In discussing the influence of the media on adolescent school performance, one Haupt/Realschule teacher became very animated and exclaimed:
[The students] believe what they see on TV! They think it's all true! They have a totally uncritical way of thinking. And they all watch the dumbest shows on the private TV channels and they think that is the truth. I find this terrible!
Another Hauptschule/Realschule teacher expressed a similar opinion:
The biggest problem is that the entire media results in over-stimulation of children. The kids expect to be entertained in school, too. It's like a fast food restaurant. Everything already prepared and in easily recognizable packaging. The problem is that students don't know how to persevere anymore; they are quick to say 'I can't do that' without ever really trying.
Students themselves were very much aware, implicitly if not explicitly, of their position as consumers of mass media and as premiere members of the "information generation." However, students did not display a critical view of the level of violence in the media. While most 12th-graders indicated at least an awareness of a link between violence in the media and aggression in society, eighth-graders often said that their favorite films were action films, where "action" usually also means "violence."
Crime and violence. Violence and vandalism at school have received much attention by the German media and have sparked debate among politicians, educators, parents, and students. While newspaper reports of school violence abound, as do popular accounts of research on school violence ("Gewalt in der Schule" 1994; "Horror aus der Dose" 1991; "Die rasten einfach aus" 1992), researchers themselves are more cautious in sounding the alarm about increasing school violence. For example, the authors of a recent review of literature on school violence and vandalism conclude that one should not start with the general assumption that violence has increased in German schools, and that longitudinal studies which would confirm or deny this assumption are lacking (Hornberg, Lindau-Bank & Zimmermann 1994, p. 360). However, the authors also state that studies do indicate that the frequency of serious, more brutal acts of violence has increased slightly. Teachers also said that violence at school is getting worse:
Twenty years ago, when I started teaching, if two kids had a fist fight in the school yard, the other kids would grab them, stand between them, and stop the fight. Now, the kids form a circle and surround the two who are fighting, so the teachers can't see, and then cheer them on! (Haupt/ Realschule teacher)
A survey of principals concerning the degree of violence and vandalism in their schools provides an overview of the frequency of violent acts occurring at schools. The percent of principals reporting "occasional" acts causing bodily injury at their schools was as follows: Haupt/Realschulen, 22 percent; Gesamtschulen, 20 percent; Gymnasien, 7 percent. The percentage of those reporting that acts causing bodily injury occurred "often" at their school was as follows: Haupt/Realschulen, 2 percent; Gesamtschulen and Gymnasien, near 0 percent. Acts of vandalism were reported to occur more frequently than physical violence at all types of secondary schools, with more than 30 percent of principals reporting "occasional" acts of vandalism at their school, and between 5 and 10 percent reporting frequent acts of vandalism ("Violence in the School: A Problem of the Media" 1994).
Students and teachers indicated that serious acts of violence at school were rare, especially those involving bodily injury. For example, although students at an urban Hauptschule said they know other students who occasionally bring knives to school, they do so "just to be cool" and do not use these weapons. Once in a while a student threatens another student with a knife, which teachers subsequently confiscate. No teacher or student at any school type recalled the use of a handgun by a student. However, the same students said they recall a student using a tear gas pistol against a fellow student several years ago. This student was expelled from school.
Verbal harassment is more common than physical violence at school. For example, an eighth-grade student at a Gesamtschule said that while she has never been physically threatened at school, she has experienced verbal abuse. A teacher at a vocational Gymnasium implied that the students at his school were "above" physical violence: "These students are the kind of kids who use words to fight their battles. They don't often have to resort to fists." However, students from the same school disagreed with this statement; they said that fist fights did indeed occur between Gymnasium students, although they usually did not result in serious injury and were more likely to occur between students in grades 5 through 8. A school superintendent is quoted in a recent article as saying that "brutality is not class specific" and can be found at the Hauptschule, Realschule, Gesamtschule and Gymnasium ("Horror aus der Dose" 1991, p. 109).
A Realschule teacher stressed that "violence" at school (and in society) is often not recognized for what it is. For example, in traffic people get into arguments and no longer know the limits. This is verbal aggression. Moreover, he said that students making fun of other students at school because of their haircut or clothes is a kind of violence.
In addition to violence and vandalism at school, the increasing level of crime in society at large is an issue of concern for many parents, teachers, and secondary school students. The father of an 18-year-old Gymnasium student said he fears for his son's safety when he goes out with his friends at night and takes public transportation. Other parents and students voiced similar concerns. Teachers expressed frustration at their helplessness in the face of violence outside of school.
All I can do as a teacher is manage a morning in the school. If I prevent a fight here, it will occur somewhere else. I am not changing anything in society. The kids today are growing up without responsibility. (Haupt/ Realschule teacher in Central City)
Parents, teachers, and students are all the more helpless in the face of violence, which occurs outside of Germany but still has an impact on secondary school students in Germany. Namely, acts of war in other parts of the world leave lasting scars on the many children who have fled their homes and have come to Germany as refugees. This is especially the case for children in Germany from Bosnia. Additionally, those who are not themselves refugees, but who have relatives and friends in Bosnia, bear the burden of watching the ravages of war and the destruction of their former homeland nightly on television. A 13th-grade student at a Gymnasium who was raised in Germany but is of Croatian citizenship said his biggest fear is the possibility that "war will break out all over the world."
A Haupt/Realschule teacher traced the increasing level of violence in society to the lack of adequate sport and recreation facilities in the major cities. She said that "hanging around" may lead to acts of violence, vandalism, or attacks on foreigners, and used the following analogy to describe the situation of young people who do not have opportunities for recreation:
It is like an experiment in physics. There is so much frustration and pressure built up inside of students that it has to get out at some point. That's when you hear about attacks on foreigners in the media.
The father of a Realschule student concurred with this teacher's view. He attributed the increasing violence to the fact that many cities are closing their youth centers and that young people have lost their interest in the church.
In discussing crime in German society, most students, teachers, and parents were quick to bring up the issue of "hatred of foreigners" (Ausländerfeindlichkeit), which has received much media attention both within Germany and abroad. Most students listed "right-wing extremist groups" and "attacks on foreigners" among the most serious current problems in Germany. No student in the present study made any statements in support of such groups. Most students expressed anger and bewilderment that such groups and hate acts exist.
However, not all teachers agreed that "right-wing violence" was the main problem in Germany; rather, some said that violence by extremists is only a recent manifestation of the tendency towards increased violence in society at large. The real problem, according to a teacher at a Haupt/Realschule, is violence of any kind, not only racially motivated violence. He spoke of the problem of increasing violence among youth in general:
Right-wing groups in Germany have received a lot of media attention. But the violence was there long before the media found a name for it. Only with the opening of the [Berlin] wall did we see an increase of hate acts against foreigners, especially in the East. The main thing is that violence-prone youth groups have now found a common enemy – the foreigner. The people who are attacking refugee shelters today were attacking each other at soccer matches a few years ago. They are the same people who attack each other in the streets like the gangs in America. They are simply low class, and this type of person has always been prone to violence, in this country and in others.
This teacher disparaged the oft-heard notion that Germany is poised on the way back to fascism. He attributed problems with increasing violence and hate acts against foreigners to the disenfranchisement of entire groups of adolescents. He said that "the true problem is that there is an entire social group that has been left without hope, without a plan, without opportunities." According to this teacher, this social group is comprised largely of kids from the Hauptschule:
In Germany I do not see a country on the road to fascism. Rather, I see an industrial society that has no idea how to handle its own adolescents. And by 'its own adolescents,' I mean the youth of all nationalities who are living in Germany. The Turkish parents are just as baffled by what to do with their teenage sons and daughters as are the Moroccan parents and the German parents.
A teacher at a vocational Gymnasium shared this view. Acts of violence, which at first sight appear to be motivated by hatred of foreigners or racism, often turn out to be violence between individuals or groups, regardless of nationality. For example, if two German students get into a fight in the school yard, it is unlikely they will yell at each other, "You lousy German!" However, if a fight occurs between a German and a Turk, one might hear them yell, "You lousy German!" or "You lousy Turk!" at each other. This does not mean, however, that the fight was motivated by racism or national rivalry. One must first recognize a problem for what it is, these teachers agreed, before one can begin to take steps to counter it.
German adolescents spend a significant portion of their time at school and on school-related activities such as homework. The school day begins between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. and lasts at least until 1:00 p.m. Students' schedules vary from day to day; however, students in an academic track at the Gymnasium or Gesamtschule spend an average of 30—40 periods a week in class, where each class period lasts 45 minutes.
Most students complete their homework in the afternoon after eating a hot meal at home. While students in the upper grades at the Gymnasium may spend several hours a day on homework, many said they spent less than an hour. Many schools also offer extracurricular activities in the afternoon; however, most adolescents who play sports do so at community sports clubs, not at school. Most teachers, parents, and students felt that schools should offer more extracurricular activities.
Few students work while attending school. The older a student is, however, the more likely he or she will work part time. It is not uncommon for secondary school students to work part or full time during school vacations. In general, working while attending school is discouraged by parents and teachers. Students at the vocational school are an exception; as part of the "dual system," these students work part time as apprentices with local firms while they are attending school.
German adolescents have ample leisure time to spend with peers. Students "hang out" with friends, play sports, go to a bar, café or discothèque, or listen to music during their free time. Many adolescents also spend a significant amount of time with their family.
One of the most frequently cited problems facing adolescents is the situation in many homes where parents do not have time or are not interested in what their children are doing. Teachers emphasized that schools have been forced to assume an increasingly central and important role in the socialization of youth.
Many students consider school to be a burden in their lives and dislike the fact that school is obligatory. Moreover, many students perceive school to be a place where they are judged critically based on performance. However, most students also enjoy learning, meeting peers, and interacting with teachers at school.
A student's motivation to succeed at school is influenced by many factors, including peer support, and parental involvement. Also important is the perceived link between school success and future employment. Motivation to achieve at school becomes strongest during the last few years of secondary school, when students start to examine career options.
Due to the need for credentials for entry into many vocational fields, there is a strong incentive for young people to make career decisions early and to stick to them. Publicly supported aids to vocational decisionmaking are abundant, including government published brochures, career libraries and professional counselors. Many schools also require students to complete a three-week internship with a company at some point in their secondary school years.
Students who wish to study at a university must earn the Abitur, the leaving certificate from Gymnasium. Alternative pathways to the Abitur also exist for adults and graduates of Hauptschule or Realschule. For many university subjects, a system of entry restrictions known as numerus clausus means that only students with above average Abitur grades can count on being accepted into a program.
A large percentage of German adolescents enter one of almost 400 apprenticeship programs. During "dual system" apprenticeships, students work more than half time while attending vocational school. Acceptance into many apprenticeships is competitive, especially in banking and insurance. Apprenticeships in these areas are a highly sought-after alternative to university study for many Abitur holders, for they lead to excellent job prospects at top firms.
The role that parents play in their children's education differs drastically from one type of secondary school to the next and also varies according to the age of the child. Parents of students who are 18 or older are not directly involved in their child's education, since these students are legal adults. Attendance at parent-teacher nights by parents of Hauptschule students is extremely poor, whereas Realschule teachers can expect somewhat better attendance. Parents of Gymnasium students are most likely to attend parent-teacher nights.
Teachers most often attributed adolescent problems and poor school performance to a lack of parental support or interest. "Neglect" (Verwahrlosung) was the word teachers used most often to describe the family situations of troubled students. Some parents and teachers blamed this state of affairs on the ever-increasing number of dual income families in Germany and parents' own lack of discipline or self-control, which leads to children growing up without any sense of responsibility.
German schools divide students into "classes," which usually remain together for many years, thus providing ample opportunities for peer interaction. The "class" system is an attempt to make students feel comfortable in school, especially following the difficult transition from Grundschule to secondary school after fourth grade. While students at each type of secondary school do normally develop a sense of group identity, they frequently also form negative stereotypes of students at other types of secondary schools.
The use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs varies widely, according to the type and location of secondary school and the age of students. Younger students, even at an urban Haupt/Realschule, were unaware of drug problems at their school. In contrast, older students at a Gymnasium said that "everyone" has smoked hashish. Of particular concern to teachers is the increasing use of the synthetic drug Ecstasy among adolescents, especially at discothèques where Techno music is played. Many students appeared to be unaware of the potentially harmful effects of this drug.
Poor employment prospects in many fields, especially in former East Germany, is a source of frustration and lack of motivation for many adolescents. Teachers believe that a lack of career orientation can lead some young people to join a right- or left-wing extremist group. Increasing violence in society also has a negative influence on adolescents at home and in school. However, while fist fights and verbal harassment are common, serious acts of violence at school involving bodily injury are rare. Even at urban schools in underprivileged neighborhoods, no student or teacher recalled the use of a handgun by a student. Often, teachers attributed the increasing violence among students to the prevalence of violence in the media.
-###-
[Chapter 5 Teachers and the Teaching Profession in Germany (Part 1 of 5)]