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Introduction 

The demands on school education, Bildung and teachers have always been immense. Nevertheless, the profession of a teacher is the “most beautiful” profession a person can have. Students can rub up against teachers and cool their chins – but they can also grow.

Together, teachers and students can find the way to peaceful coexistence in a world of endless wars, in which even a “preventive nuclear war” is not shied away from (Prof. Chossudovsky).

As a former teacher and doctor of education, I will explain this in more detail and thus “break a lance” for the no longer very attractive profession of teaching in the face of a looming major educational disaster.

“For a conscious ethical-moral values education”.

As early as 21 years ago, on 20 May 2002, as head of the “State School Advisory Office for the Bavarian capital Munich”, I wrote a contribution to the discussion on the 17-fold murder or killing spree in the city of Erfurt and concluded that “only a social consensus on values, goals and role models in education can give orientation and support to the growing generation” (1).

I went on to write:

“Destructive social influences such as an entertainment industry that essentially conveys a mixture of violence, perversion and nihilism via film, television, video, computer games and music, as well as the insecurity of educators, led to disorientation and a lack of support among the youth. (…).

The disagreement in society over these issues has not been to the advantage of the growing generation in recent decades. An increase in violence, drug abuse and nihilism were the result. A broad social discussion is needed, at the end of which there must be a consensus (…). This discussion must be conducted without tabooing and labelling other opinions and must be oriented, among other things, to the many valuable research results of developmental psychology, especially attachment and parenting style research, as well as research on the conditions of prosocial behaviour and media effects research.” (2)

This contribution to the discussion is still timely almost a quarter of a century later.

Situation of school education and Bildung today

“Bildung! Bildung! Bildung! Hardly any other topic is argued about more often and more heatedly. Bildung should develop the personality and enable a fulfilled life. Bildung should provide well-trained skilled workers for the labour market and keep our economy competitive. Bildung should secure peace and democracy and pass on our cultural knowledge across the generations.” (3)

Western societies can certainly subscribe to this definition of “Bildung”. However, the question arises whether they also live up to this claim and promote the opportunities of their children. And especially after the disastrous “crisis year” of 2022 with Corona-related school closures, a frightening teacher shortage and a high migrant background of pupils. Not to mention the situation in the so-called developing countries.

There is no human problem that cannot and should not be addressed by teachers, from learning at school, entertainment violence on children’s mobile phones to drug use, disinformation from the “war-mongering press” (Karl Kraus), the history of fascism (Vera Sharav) and proven ways to live together peacefully.

Bildung in the psychological sense would also mean teaching people how they should and can solve their problems. This includes their attitude towards life as well as their opinion about themselves, fellow human beings and the community.

“There is a war going on in our schools!”

In 1975, the individual psychologist Prof. Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs was not entirely unrealistic in his assessment of the situation in schools when he wrote:

“Whether the teacher likes it or not, whether he realises it or not, he is usually drawn into a power struggle from which he cannot extricate himself.” (4)

But at the same time he noted:

“Every child will occasionally resist for reasons that are hidden from himself. Repeating what he should do does not improve the situation; on the contrary, it evokes a conflict in the child and increases his open resistance to the teacher. Only someone who understands the psychological mechanisms that block the child’s proper functioning can help him to fit in and make progress.” (5)

What matters, then, is that the teacher, with or without the help of a pedagogical-psychological expert, becomes aware of this power struggle and makes peace with his students. In the article “We citizens should try out humanism…” I described the positive case of a teacher colleague who succeeded in reconciling with a formerly disruptive pupil and ending the state of war in the class (6).

The most sacred duty of an educator

As early as the beginning of the 19th century, Alfred Adler, the founder of individual psychology, wrote in every teacher’s and educator’s book:

“The most important task of an educator – one can almost say his most sacred duty – is to see to it that no child is discouraged at school and that a child who enters school already discouraged gains confidence in himself through his school and through his teacher.” (7)

“Teacher, that is the most beautiful profession man can have.”

My psychology teacher Friedrich Liebling once put it this way:

“Teacher, that is the most beautiful profession man can have. There is none more beautiful.

Growing together through the daily relationship, the intensive discussion that demands the whole person with all his weaknesses and strengths, the conversation, the daily struggle for air supremacy in the classroom. So that the troublemaker, who basically just doesn’t trust himself to learn, doesn’t gain the upper hand and thereby infect and distract others, spoiling the mood in the class. 

The teacher has to keep the upper hand, be a role model, remain the leader or pack leader of the whole gang, against whom the pupils can rub themselves, against whom they can cool their chins, but also from whom they can grow. Teacher, that is the most beautiful profession…!” (8)

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Dr. Rudolf Lothar Hänsel is a school rector, educational scientist and qualified psychologist. After his university studies he became an academic teacher in adult education. As a retiree he worked as a psychotherapist in his own practice. In his books and professional articles, he calls for a conscious ethical-moral education in values as well as an education for public spirit and peace. For his services to Serbia, he was awarded the Republic Prize “Captain Misa Anastasijevic” by the Universities of Belgrade and Novi Sad in 2021.

He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

Notes 

(1) Dr. Hänsel Rudolf (2002). For a conscious ethical-moral teaching of values. A contribution to the discussion in Erfurt. State School Counselling Centre for Munich. Central educational-psychological counselling centre for schools in the state capital and in the district of Munich.

(2) op. cit., p. 1f.

(3) https://www.bpb.de/themen/bildung/dossier-bildung/282582/was-ist-bildung-eine-einfuehrung/

(4) Dreikurs Rudolf (1975). Psychology in the Classroom. Stuttgart, p. 19

(5) op. cit., p. 40

(6) https://www.globalresearch.ca/we-citizens-should-prove-humanism-…ood-capable-living-together-without-weapons-wars/5817065?/

(7) Hänsel Rudolf (2020). How is Ingo? Or: How does one become a fellow human being? A thank you to my teacher. Gornji Milanovac, p. 15

(8) op. cit., p. 34

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