German school with flexible lesson plans wins national prize
October 2, 2024
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday honored the winner of the country's annual School Prize: a special education institution in the western city of Bonn.
The Siebengebirgsschule, or Seven Hills School, offers its 290 pupils learning studios, creative workshops and a study hall.
According to its website, the school combines regular education guidelines to allow the children to earn a certificate, as well as special methods to better engage and prepare them for the job market.
"The Siebengebirgsschule takes in children who are overwhelmed by mainstream schools and enables them to find their way back into learning, discover their talents and achieve outstanding results," said Thorsten Bohl, spokesman for the German School Award jury.
The prize includes €100,000 ($111,000).
Three other schools from the North Rhine-Westphalia state (NRW), where Bonn is located, also won prizes.
They have "created places that combine personal well-being, social interaction and enjoyment of learning," said NRW Schools Minister Dorothee Feller as she congratulated the award-winning schools.
Education system in Germany facing setbacks
At the ceremony, Scholz highlighted the importance of schools in society: "Simply because everyone comes together at school, it's the place where cooperation has to work."
The chancellor said although the education system in Germany has many problems it was still better than many other countries.
The PISA education ranking shows that German pupils are falling behind in mathematics and reading – however, Germany's score remains above the international average.
The German education system also has other issues, including a nationwide shortage of 14,000 additional teachers and a digitalization deficit in schools at a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining popularity and becoming more accessible.
Asked if he would have used AI to do his homework for him as a pupil, Scholz grinned and said: "Maybe."
fb/msh (dpa, open sources)
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