(Humility, respect and courage; 01-02; p.2)

There has been considerable public hurly-burly about the findings: some people, most of them not directly involved in educational matters made even more suggestions. If anything changes remains open. - Reasons for that are neither individual inability nor malicious omission but functional preferences of rationality. Employers e.g. do have an interest in adequately educated employees, politicians do have an interest in adequately educated managers and entrepreneurs, parents do have an interest in adequately educated children.

But education consists of instruction and training as well as of upbringing. Both aspects are mainly left to teachers or those working in the cultural sector. Prof Volker Ladenthin, pedagogue at Bonn University, argued that paying no attention to the aspect of upbringing is similar to refraining from prevention of terrorism (cf. Ladenthin: "Terrorismus und Bildung" in: Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 19/03/02). Even if one does not conjure up such drastic consequences, it is worth spending a thought on the criteria dominating the German discussion about quality in education. Are they in accordance with the needs of individuals to be educated and are they useful for society?

Since the 1970s especially curriculae of secondary schools became more professionalised, higher education is to follow soon by the introduction of BA/MA structures. "Professionalised" in this context means that schools and universities are more orientated towards occupational profiles and pupils and students have to decide earlier about there careers. Most obvious in this respect is the forced development of language learning and electronic data processing on primary school level already. Another example is the foundation of special "Wirtschaftsgymnasien", a form of secondary school at which pupils are taught economics to A levels. (read on here)