Dr. Rösner, the business community is currently calling for radical investment in education to make Germany competi­­­tive again. Do we need to fundamentally change education to prepare young people adequately for exponential change, uncertainties, and increased competition in the workforce? Must a radical rethinking of education take place?

As the director of the Louisenlund Foundation, I am convinced that a radical rethinking of the German education system is not only necessary but inevitable if we truly want to support young people in developing their unique personalities and their social as well as academic skills.

Students rightly want to be prepared by their school and country for the challenges and opportunities posed by complex changes,
growing uncertainties, and the increasing competition from AI systems in the job market. They want to be resilient, optimistic, and successful participants in the developments of the future and to be able to shape their own lives. They also want to take responsibility for their own learning.

The school should enable them to do this. That’s why the Stifterverband and the German economy are calling for a reorientation of education in Germany.

The traditional education system, still based on uniform assumptions about students’ needs and abilities, is locked in rigid structures and outdated teaching methods. It hardly meets today’s requirements. When fundamental success factors such as a sufficient number of well-trained professionals in daycare centers and schools or modern educational buildings have not been available for many years, something has gone wrong in this country.

The situation in schools has radically changed compared to our own school days. Germany is now one of the top immigration countries in the world. On average, about 40% of children in schools have a migra­­­­­tion background, and in many schools, this percentage is even higher. How do we respond to this superdiversity in the school system? Currently, with increasing over­burdening and increasingly deteriorating conditions.

The German armed forces are supposed to become combat-ready; schools must once again become capable of providing edu­­cation. The times are changing for learning in Germany, too. Unfortunately, children do not have a strong lobby. Therefore, I am pleased to see a growing societal consensus slowly forming, creating the necessary pressure for change.

At Louisenlund, we understand learning as a holistic, value-oriented process that includes cognitive, physical, social, and mental challenges. We respect and nurture the uniqueness of each learner as part of the community. Critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, information literacy, dealing with digital media, and the understanding of being part of the Louisenlund community and taking responsibility are integral parts of our pedagogy, which has its roots in the experiential education of the 1950s. Students learn to act in all dimensions of life and are encouraged to explore. This sustainably changes the role of teachers and mentors, making it more challenging and responsible, yet also more enriching. Teachers should become the professional avant-garde in this country. They should be change agents at the forefront of transformation, able to provide young people with orientation in an emerging future.

At Louisenlund, we are engaged in a cont­inuous process that brings these principles into practice, creating an educational environment that not only focuses on imparting knowledge but also on empowering young people to think creatively and critically, navigate complexity, and actively participate in shaping their own future and that of our society.

A survey by the Körber Foundation shows that three quarters of parents believe that grades do not adequately reflect performance, and nearly half advocate for abolishing the current grading system. But how can we achieve motivation, enthusiasm, and a sense of self-efficacy in children? Are fixed curricula and school grades still relevant?

These survey results reflect a growing societal awareness that traditional assessment methods, such as grades, do not adequately capture students’ performance and abilities. This realization underscores the urgency of rethinking our approaches to education, particularly in terms of motivation, enthusiasm, and fostering a sense of self-efficacy in children. At Louisenlund, we have addressed this challenge by creating an educational environment that goes beyond fixed curricula and grades.

Our approach is based on the belief that education should be individualized, competency-based, and focused on developing the whole person. Rather than merely assessing students through a rigid grading system, we also consider individual learning progress, the development of competencies, and the achievement of personal goals. This approach not only fosters intrinsic motivation and enthusiasm for learning but also strengthens self-confidence and a sense of self-efficacy. Studies show that assessments based on personal progress and competency acquisition have positive effects on students’ learning motivation and engagement.

At Louisenlund, we implement these insights by offering extracurricular learning oppor­tunities and a diverse boarding experience within an international community, based on the curricula and subject requirements of the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Our students are encouraged to experiment and grow in all dimensions of learning. This, of course, also applies to the teachers in our various school forms. This pedagogical approach allows students to explore and shape their own learning paths, laying the foundation for deep and meaningful education.