Schools and universities should think more openly and flexibly

It is often said that the school system is outdated. We need more digitalisation and more individualised learning. How can we free ourselves from this dilemma?

We need more people to take joint responsibility for schools. Only then can we identify problems and develop solutions in a more open and flexible manner. Schools have always been a reflection of society, and in times of crisis, social problems are also reflected in schools. As challenges grow, schools must also do more. Teachers should no longer be lone warriors; they must help each other, but also receive support from the city, the district and academia. Especially in times of teacher shortages, a new form of collaboration between schools, parents, politicians, administrators and universities is needed. Everyone must join forces and consider: How can we improve schools together?

And what does that look like in concrete terms?

School development today means that individual schools must develop. We have moved away from the idea that a minister turns the wheel at the top and everything moves at the bottom. Schools are at least partially autonomous in their decisions. This allows school administrators and responsible teachers to become the designers of their schools. They develop a profile and compete with other schools in a contest of ideas. But that doesn't mean they shouldn't cooperate – on the contrary. By working together, they can learn about new concepts and adapt them for their schools. They can also visit other schools and form networks. There is no shortage of good, scientifically sound concepts. Schools in Lüneburg have also been on this path for a long time. For example, there is a school in the city centre that sets up student companies to teach young people to learn differently and to help change everyday life at their school. They presented their companies at Leuphana University.

So there are good approaches, but a systematic approach is lacking?

Exactly. In science, we talk about data-based school development. Schools need to know where their pupils stand and how they learn. The result is not only performance, but also motivation and well-being. A good school strives for all three goals. The challenge is to collect data in different ways, through casual observation and standardised procedures. It is essential to look at individual learners and their learning; teaching development must aim at improved, sustainable learning. To achieve this, we need an analytical view focused on learning processes and strategies, as well as realistic action planning by teachers and school administrators who do not act alone but share leadership tasks. In other words, leadership that is oriented towards the learning of students, teachers and everyone involved in the school.

But many schools are currently struggling with a shortage of skilled workers and dilapidated infrastructure, for example. How are they supposed to try out new things?

That is indeed the great danger. Some schools in difficult situations are overwhelmed, struggling with a shortage of teachers and school administrators. But it is precisely these schools that need more resources – money, staff, support from programmes such as the Startchancen programme. We need to attract the best school administrators and teachers to the most challenging schools, perhaps with incentives such as better equipment and good learning conditions. People who are willing to work for underperforming schools need to be drawn to these schools. There are prominent examples of how this can be done, particularly among the Schulpreis schools. This shows what is possible when politicians, administrators, urban society, school administrators and teachers work together.

You would particularly like to bring science closer to schools, for example with a university school in Lüneburg. What is the idea behind this?

A university school would have three main tasks – like a university hospital. Firstly: optimal care, i.e. a school for everyone that demonstrates, based on evidence, that even difficult problems can be solved. Secondly: on-site research in direct interaction with practice. Thirdly: training and further education for teachers. We can let our best students learn there under the best conditions, for which everyone is jointly responsible. That would be a model for the whole of northern Germany.

And how realistic is that?

We are well connected through the Leuphana Innovation Community School Development and Leadership and are currently examining various scenarios. Perhaps the school will be built on campus, or perhaps an existing school will grow into this role. In any case, the need is there. One thing is clear: it would have to be public, not a private school. And it would have to cover all grades from 1 to 13, ideally as an integrated, inclusive comprehensive or community school. This would allow us to show what is possible – evidence-based, science-oriented and at the same time right in the middle of practice. Many school administrators recognise, in collaboration with us, that changes can happen faster with the university at their side. Leuphana is seen as a door opener. We cannot change the whole world at once, but the university school can demonstrate what is possible in teacher training and school development.