Krisen im Elementar- und Primarbereich – nichts Neues? Ein Rückblick

Crises in elementary and primary education have been an ongoing topic in educational policy and in the pedagogical public for many years: a lack of daycare places, a considerable shortage of educators and teachers, unequal educational opportunities, inadequate student performance. It is shown that corresponding problems also existed in West Germany in the 1960s/1970s, which at that time were to be solved by far-reaching structural and curricular educational reforms. Can reform initiatives from that period be a “master plan” for current crises in the educational system? With reference to assumptions of crisis theories, selected key areas of the elementary and primary sector with their specific characteristics, which were identified as deficient or in need of reform by the educational policy and pedagogical experts at that time, are presented in a retrospective, and the way in which these reforms were implemented is discussed. Finally, the question is asked to what extent the present crises are new and if experiences from the reform phase at that time could be helpful in overcoming current crises.