Bob Blume: Learning must be the focus again in Gießen!

Bob Blume: Learning must be the focus again in Gießen!

Bob Blume, a respected teacher and education influencer, highlights the challenges facing our education system and offers solutions in his new book, Why Still Learn. In the interview he explains how learning content can be brought back to the center of schools and how teachers can have an influence despite ongoing difficulties.

The progressive concepts in Giessen show how important the design of learning spaces is. Blume emphasizes that there is an investment backlog of around 45 billion euros across Germany. However, Giessen shows that it is possible to make schools places where students want to learn. Thanks to new school rooms without doors, but with large window fronts and flexible learning landscapes, learning is encouraged in an appealing way.

Recognize the roots of the problems in the education system

Blume describes that learning is often shifted too much to homework, which leads to injustice. “Learning must be the focus of school,” he explains and demands that school education should not depend on external factors such as social background.

A central concern of the interview is the question of educational success. Blume sees the problem not in the students, but in the social conditions and the dependence on parental support. “The idea that migrants put a strain on the system is too short-sighted,” he notes critically. An inclusive approach and equitable schooling are key issues that Blume denounces.

An example of successful learning in Gießen is the “Sinn and Purpose” student company at the Max Weber School. Here, students can lead projects on their own responsibility and work creatively, which Blume considers to be very important. He emphasizes that such projects not only impart knowledge, but also strengthen the students' self-efficacy. You learn to make decisions and act independently of fixed curricula.

The pressure on teachers and the path to improvement

But the reality is often different: staff councils in Giessen report overloading in many schools. However, Blume maintains that innovative learning does not necessarily mean more work for teachers. Rather, it requires courage and trust that new approaches will have a long-term impact.

The discussion about the overload of teachers is not ignored. Blume argues that a teacher's job is multifaceted and that a significant portion of working time is spent on non-teaching-related tasks. The shortage of teachers, social support and clear political guidelines are massive hurdles that need to be addressed.

A suggestion for improvement could be the introduction of a cross-party president for the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs. This would enable a long-term vision for the education system to be pursued without short-term political interests endangering the educational landscape.

Blume, who lives in Baden-Württemberg and works as a high school teacher, is of the opinion that many teachers in Germany are confronted with outdated concepts. He calls for better exchange and more understanding of the needs of schools. This is the only way to escape the image of an education system that is organized more based on work than on knowledge and interest.