In the political landscape, groups choose to establish student representative bodies within educational institutions. This is currently being considered in Lower Saxony, where democratic class committees are set to be established. This decision was made by the major coalitions of the SPD and Greens in the state legislature. Their conservative and far-right counterparts, the CDU and AfD, voted against it.
Environment Minister Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) emphasized, "Democracy is something that one can never start learning at an excessive age." Lena Nzume (Greens) reinforced this, stating, "Democracy is a living organism that only flourishes when everyone contributes to its nurturing, particularly young individuals like students."
The intention is for future school structures, ranging from first grade in Lower Saxony, to incorporate class committees as a democratic platform. The goal is to empower students to contribute to shaping their school day and gain a basic understanding of democratic procedures.
Karl-Ludwig von Danwitz (CDU) argued against a mandatory implementation, stating that there already exists an option for setting up class committees. AfD education politician Harm Rykena complained that the motion's demands unnecessarily consume valuable and scarce teaching hours.
The incorporation of class committees as a democratic platform in future schools aims to provide a fundamental education in democratic procedures. Julia Willie Hamburg emphasized that the learning of democracy is not age-bound, stating that it's never too late to start.
Further Insights:
Democracy plays a significant role in the educational policies of the SPD and Greens in Germany. They promote democratic education through student representative bodies to empower students and prepare them for future democratic engagement. Measures include student councils, democratically-focused extracurricular activities, integration of democratic education into the curriculum, and influence over policies that benefit students.
