diagnose-funk.org, 5 February 2025 - deepl translation
Harald Lesch, professor of physics at LMU Munich and prominent science communicator, and Klaus Zierer, professor of school education at the University of Augsburg, are calling for a revolution in the education system to overcome the catastrophic situation. In a 45-minute program on NDR (Norddeutscher Rundfunk) and their joint book “Gute Bildung sieht anders aus” (“Good education looks different”), they explain why immediate action is needed. Social scientist Prof. Tim Engartner also calls for a change in his book “Raus aus der Bildungsfalle. Why we are endangering the future of our children”. Education policy must free itself from the influence of industry. He states: “The digitalization of education is not the solution, but part of the problem."
In the NDR program, the presenter asks Lesch & Zierer: “Nobody needs the digital pact, we need a pencil and paper pact!” (from minute 27:15) This leads to a discussion about the experiences and studies on the effect of digital media on children's learning. The conclusion of the two experts: We need a ban on cell phones at least up to and including elementary school. The use of cell phones at school and in lessons destroys attention, and concentration, and prevents social contact. Bans, with pedagogical support, immediately create a better school and learning environment.
In their joint book “Gute Bildung sieht anders aus: What schools our children need now”, Lesch/Zierer draw conclusions for a school that educates and does not train for industrial interests (see below for book review).
UNESCO: More and more countries are adopting smartphone bans
The findings of the negative effects of digitalization are gaining ground worldwide: “To ban or not to ban?” UNESCO's update on smartphone use in schools revealed that by the end of 2023, 60 national education systems (or 30%) had banned smartphone use in schools in their laws or policies. An update produced by the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM) for International Education Day shows that 19 more education systems have banned smartphone use in schools by the end of 2024, bringing the total to 79 (or 40%).
Germany: Two thirds in favor of smartphone ban
Recent surveys show that a majority of parents in Germany are in favor of a smartphone ban in schools. According to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov, 66% of respondents are in favor of such a ban. When will education policy finally act? However, bans are not enough, we need education in media literacy and a return to pedagogy and education. Two new books have been published that analyze the causes of the educational catastrophe and show ways out of the situation.
“Good education looks different: What schools our children need now” by Harald Lesch and Klaus Zierer
Lesch/Zierer develop a vision of schools that they demand be implemented immediately. “We need a revolution in the education system” (p.8), because the so-called ‘reforms’ in state schools in recent decades have had devastating effects:
“School not only kills the creativity of children and young people, it can even make them ill.” (S.9)
According to Lesch/Zierer: “For over ten years, learning performance has been on the decline - in reading, writing, arithmetic and science” (p. 18). The cause: under the influence of industry, “the tradition of humanism, which does not rely on measurability but understands education in a completely different way: namely as freedom from purpose” (p.13), has been buried. The warnings about the negative consequences of the economization of education planned by industry have been around for a long time, including in the standard works by Jochen Krautz “ Die Ware Bildung” (2007) and Richard Münch “Der bildungsindustrielle Komplex” (2018). Lesch / Zierer outline a way out of the catastrophe that the neoliberal restructuring of the education system has led to.
The book is written clearly and comprehensively, making it accessible to both education professionals and interested laypeople. Lesch contributes his trenchant observations and his scientific perspective, while Zierer provides well-founded analyses of educational theory. This combination results in an exciting mixture of practical and theoretical criticism. The authors use numerous examples from everyday school life, scientific studies and social analyses to support their theses.
Tim Engartner: Out of the education trap. Digitalization is not the solution, it's the problem.
“Renaissance instead of a crash - how the educational republic of Germany can be saved” - this is the topic of the book ‘Raus aus der Bildungsfalle’ by Tim Engartner, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Cologne. He describes in detail the state of the education system from nursery to university and analyzes the causes of the educational disaster.
Particularly worth reading is his analysis of the attempts to digitize the education system (pp. 103-141) and his subsequent analysis of the methods used by industry to subjugate the education system to its ideologies. Tim Engartner states that digitalization is not the solution, but part of the problem. He refers to international studies, including reports by UNESCO and the British House of Commons, which point to the negative consequences of screen time.
Engartner provides factual evidence of how the reforms in the education sector have been driven by private sector players, including large corporations such as Bertelsmann and Telekom. These companies benefit from the introduction of digital learning platforms and data collection. Engartner warns against “surveillance pedagogy”, in which the data of pupils and teachers can be analyzed and used for commercial purposes.
Engartner criticizes the increasing economization of education, privatization tendencies and competence fetishism, which neglects holistic education in favour of measurable performance parameters. Instead, he calls for a solidly financed education policy that sees education as a social responsibility and provides equal opportunities for all pupils.
His book "Raus aus der Bildungsfalle" argues for a renaissance of education beyond digital technologization and warns of the dangers of data-driven, market-driven schooling that exacerbates social inequalities. He argues for a pedagogy that focuses on social interaction, didactic quality and the protection of pupils from commercial interests. The style of the book is excellent and exciting to read.
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| Lesch and Zierer |
In the NDR program, the presenter asks Lesch & Zierer: “Nobody needs the digital pact, we need a pencil and paper pact!” (from minute 27:15) This leads to a discussion about the experiences and studies on the effect of digital media on children's learning. The conclusion of the two experts: We need a ban on cell phones at least up to and including elementary school. The use of cell phones at school and in lessons destroys attention, and concentration, and prevents social contact. Bans, with pedagogical support, immediately create a better school and learning environment.
In their joint book “Gute Bildung sieht anders aus: What schools our children need now”, Lesch/Zierer draw conclusions for a school that educates and does not train for industrial interests (see below for book review).
UNESCO: More and more countries are adopting smartphone bans
The findings of the negative effects of digitalization are gaining ground worldwide: “To ban or not to ban?” UNESCO's update on smartphone use in schools revealed that by the end of 2023, 60 national education systems (or 30%) had banned smartphone use in schools in their laws or policies. An update produced by the Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM) for International Education Day shows that 19 more education systems have banned smartphone use in schools by the end of 2024, bringing the total to 79 (or 40%).
Germany: Two thirds in favor of smartphone ban
Recent surveys show that a majority of parents in Germany are in favor of a smartphone ban in schools. According to a survey by the opinion research institute YouGov, 66% of respondents are in favor of such a ban. When will education policy finally act? However, bans are not enough, we need education in media literacy and a return to pedagogy and education. Two new books have been published that analyze the causes of the educational catastrophe and show ways out of the situation.
“Good education looks different: What schools our children need now” by Harald Lesch and Klaus Zierer
Lesch/Zierer develop a vision of schools that they demand be implemented immediately. “We need a revolution in the education system” (p.8), because the so-called ‘reforms’ in state schools in recent decades have had devastating effects:
“School not only kills the creativity of children and young people, it can even make them ill.” (S.9)
According to Lesch/Zierer: “For over ten years, learning performance has been on the decline - in reading, writing, arithmetic and science” (p. 18). The cause: under the influence of industry, “the tradition of humanism, which does not rely on measurability but understands education in a completely different way: namely as freedom from purpose” (p.13), has been buried. The warnings about the negative consequences of the economization of education planned by industry have been around for a long time, including in the standard works by Jochen Krautz “ Die Ware Bildung” (2007) and Richard Münch “Der bildungsindustrielle Komplex” (2018). Lesch / Zierer outline a way out of the catastrophe that the neoliberal restructuring of the education system has led to.
The book is written clearly and comprehensively, making it accessible to both education professionals and interested laypeople. Lesch contributes his trenchant observations and his scientific perspective, while Zierer provides well-founded analyses of educational theory. This combination results in an exciting mixture of practical and theoretical criticism. The authors use numerous examples from everyday school life, scientific studies and social analyses to support their theses.
Tim Engartner: Out of the education trap. Digitalization is not the solution, it's the problem.
“Renaissance instead of a crash - how the educational republic of Germany can be saved” - this is the topic of the book ‘Raus aus der Bildungsfalle’ by Tim Engartner, Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Cologne. He describes in detail the state of the education system from nursery to university and analyzes the causes of the educational disaster.
Particularly worth reading is his analysis of the attempts to digitize the education system (pp. 103-141) and his subsequent analysis of the methods used by industry to subjugate the education system to its ideologies. Tim Engartner states that digitalization is not the solution, but part of the problem. He refers to international studies, including reports by UNESCO and the British House of Commons, which point to the negative consequences of screen time.
Engartner provides factual evidence of how the reforms in the education sector have been driven by private sector players, including large corporations such as Bertelsmann and Telekom. These companies benefit from the introduction of digital learning platforms and data collection. Engartner warns against “surveillance pedagogy”, in which the data of pupils and teachers can be analyzed and used for commercial purposes.
Engartner criticizes the increasing economization of education, privatization tendencies and competence fetishism, which neglects holistic education in favour of measurable performance parameters. Instead, he calls for a solidly financed education policy that sees education as a social responsibility and provides equal opportunities for all pupils.
His book "Raus aus der Bildungsfalle" argues for a renaissance of education beyond digital technologization and warns of the dangers of data-driven, market-driven schooling that exacerbates social inequalities. He argues for a pedagogy that focuses on social interaction, didactic quality and the protection of pupils from commercial interests. The style of the book is excellent and exciting to read.
Original article in German:
https://www.diagnose-funk.org/aktuelles/artikel-archiv/detail&newsid=2176
https://www.diagnose-funk.org/aktuelles/artikel-archiv/detail&newsid=2176
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