"We Need a Vision to Work Towards"
"We need a vision, a target dimension to work toward. And if that makes it necessary to invest more in schools, in education, then we would do well to take these investments really seriously," Maaz said. At the moment, he said, teachers primarily need the necessary technical prerequisites and suitable training programs for distance learning. In addition, there needs to be greater integration between teaching staff and other educational personnel, such as school social workers and school psychologists. It is not possible for teachers alone to be approachable by students and to offer them counseling.
He called for a clear strategy with regard to continuing education for teachers. Continuing education is an opportunity to address existing problems in schools. It should be mandatory for teachers to take advantage of continuing education programs. At the same time, such offers should be adapted to the specific challenges of the individual schools in a more individualized way.
The education expert also called for reforms in the training of teachers at universities. Additional courses are needed, for example, on digital instruction, on strengthening the diagnostic skills of teachers, and on the non-subject-specific and cognitive skills of students, such as self-regulation and self-learning skills.