Is Germany’s education system to blame for school shooting?
Hierarchical, traditional state schools create social pressures
In the aftermath of the German school shooting that left 15 people dead, Guardian columnist Sabine Rennefanz points to the country’s old-fashioned education system as a factor. One reason Germany has the highest number of school shootings after the U.S., she argues, is that state schools are traditional institutions, where many teachers are in need of a social and psychological refresher; the average age of teachers in Berlin is 54. Meanwhile, rising social pressures mean that competition among students has become increasingly fierce.
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