60 years of teacher training in Bochum: A look at democracy education!

60 years of teacher training in Bochum: A look at democracy education!

On June 17, 2025, the Professional School of Education (PSE) at the Ruhr University Bochum celebrated an important anniversary: ​​60 years of teacher training in Bochum. The celebrations included a discursive debate about the role of teacher training in democracy education, which was particularly enriched by alumna Sylvia Löhrmann, North Rhine-Westphalia's representative for combating anti-Semitism. She discussed the importance of qualified teachers for a vibrant and functioning democracy.

Prof. Dr. In her contribution to the event, Kornelia Freitag, Vice Rector for Teaching and Studies, emphasized the central role of teacher training at the RUB. Participants in the panel discussion included well-known scientists such as Prof. Dr. Gabriele Bellenberg and Prof. Dr. Franzjörg Baumgart, who together reflected on the beginnings of the Ruhr University. These were reminiscent of the spirit of optimism that prevailed in the first years of the university, supported by visits from personalities such as Rudi Dutschke and Wolf Biermann.

A look into the history of teacher training

The history of teacher training at the RUB goes back to 1965, when teaching positions for high schools, secondary schools and vocational training were offered for the first time. In 1972, 11,000 student teachers were already enrolled at the university. At this point in time, the curriculum for teaching at high schools included various subjects, including Protestant and Catholic theology, pedagogy, history, as well as natural sciences such as biology and physics.

In the context of this historical development, strengthening history and politics teaching in schools is also of central importance. The Standing Scientific Commission of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, to which the Ruhr University Bochum belongs, has published a statement calling for the subjects of politics and history to be more firmly anchored in school curricula. Teachers should be better prepared to teach these subjects in order to promote informed citizens who are able to argue their interests, such as uaruhr.de explained.

Importance of democracy education

The role of school in civic education and socialization cannot be overemphasized. In the 1970s, the political socialization function was increasingly brought into the discourse, with the tripartite school system as well as censorship and equal opportunities being viewed critically. The discourse led to reforms and the emergence of comprehensive schools in SPD-governed federal states, which were designed as “democratic performance schools”. This all happened within the context of an emerging federal topic of democratic education, the earliest approaches of which were already visible in the 1980s, when concepts such as “Rethinking the School” were discussed by Hartmut von Hentig.

In the recent past, various programs and initiatives have been launched with the aim of strengthening democracy education in schools. Further training for teachers plays an essential role in overcoming current challenges in democracy. Schools are faced with the task of not only imparting political knowledge to students, but also actively involving them in democratic processes. The deutsches-schulportal.de describes how important it is to create politically social spaces in which students have the opportunity to express themselves freely and learn actively.

Overall, the development of teacher training and the anchoring of democracy education in schools must be seen in the context of larger social change. These discussions and interactions continue to shape the school landscape in Germany today and show how crucial sound teacher training is for securing democratic values ​​and structures.