The text takes up the discussion impulse by Daniel Doll and Albert Scherr in the issue of Sozial Extra 5/2023 Doll und Scherr (2023), which they derived from the results of their research project “Unintended educational effects—What is contributed to reducing educational inequality by open youth work”. The text discusses the findings of Doll and Scherr that youth work supports the coping with school an and the school careers. It is criticized that, from the limited perspective of the research question, all effects of open youth work are thought of as functional for coping with school. This could weaken the independent educational mandate of youth work. It also omits a criticism of the failure of schools with regard to enabling educational equity. In contrast, the text draws on Albert Scherr’s subject orientation of youth work that is extremely influential for the German debate. The text outlines a professional assistance for self-education (Bildung) that certainly takes into account the interest of young people in support of their coping with school through open youth work: Instead of problem-centered and individualizing support for coping, a collective, solidarity-based and critical reflection of school experiences is proposed. This could makes coping with school the subject of self-organized educational processes (Bildung). Albert Scherr comments on the feedback from Benedikt Sturzenhecker in the text.
