Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) – A new project at Hesse’s vocational schools is intended to strengthen teachers in dealing with right-wing extremist and anti-democratic positions in the classroom. In addition to the state, the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Federal Agency for Civic Education are involved in the “Strong Teachers, Strong Students” program, as the Ministry of Education in Wiesbaden announced on Thursday.
Teachers are also confronted with misanthropic and disparaging statements in the classroom. “Many lack the knowledge and security to react appropriately to these situations,” the ministry said. According to the information, 18 teachers from six vocational schools from all over Hesse and four external consultants are taking part in the three-year training and consulting program. The project already exists in other federal states.
“Current developments in the areas of conspiracy ideologies and anti-democracy underscore the importance of civic education,” said the President of the Federal Agency for Civic Education, Thomas Krüger. Only with strong teachers will it be possible to make young people and adolescents strong against right-wing extremism and ideologies of inequality.