Teacher in the fight against right -wing extremism: Workshops started in Brandenburg

Teacher in the fight against right -wing extremism: Workshops started in Brandenburg

Lützowstraße 42, 10785 Berlin, Deutschland - dealing with right -wing extremism in schools is increasingly becoming an essential challenge for teachers in Germany, especially in Brandenburg. According to the current reporting of rbb24 are the numbers of politically motivated criminal offenses from 258 in 2023 rose to 336 in 2024. These alarming developments make workshops such as those at the Berlin Cross-Road Center, in which around 20 teachers as well as social and project workers take part. The workshop is part of a broader event, the Tincon that deals with topics of digital education.

Hubert Heiner, a teacher from Brandenburg, reported during the workshop of worrying experiences, including right -wing extremists and homophobic statements by his students and an incident in which a student showed him a Hitler salute. Many workshop participants expressed uncertainties in dealing with such discriminatory statements. They discussed how they can find the balance between political neutrality and the occurrence of democratic values ​​in order to create a safe learning environment.

strategies to combat right -wing extremism

The need for specific action threads for teachers is a central topic that is repeatedly taken up during the workshops. As Heiner explains, there are often no clear guidelines to react in the event of right -wing extremist statements. A big factor that contributes to this is the lack of time because teachers have to teach a variety of students. Workshop manager Julian also emphasizes that the teachers should maintain the dialogue with the students in order to give them space for reflection and, if necessary, a withdrawal of their statements.

This concern about a changing appearance of right-wing extremism is also taken up by school without racism . Their topic book "Right -wing extremism & school" is aimed directly at teachers and offers support to address right -wing extremism in class. It contains practical information on questions such as neutrality requirement and the invitation of parties on discussions. The thematic booklet is free of charge as a PDF and can therefore serve as a valuable tool for teachers.

resources and materials against right -wing extremism

In addition to the workshops and themed books, there are a variety of materials that deal with right -wing extremism and racism in schools. The Federal Center for Political Education provides an overview of various handouts such as Cover right -wing populism, radicalization prevention and dealings with misanthropic statements. These materials are not only relevant for teachers, but also for school management and school social workers.

The situation requires a coordinated action by educational institutions to effectively counter the challenges of right -wing extremism and to promote democratic values ​​in the school community. Teachers like Hubert Heiner are aware of this responsibility and are actively involved in making a sign against racism at their schools. He himself takes the knowledge from the workshop to his school, which bears the title "School without Racism - School with Courage".