When I was a student, I had a friend whose father was a furrier. Occasionally, there were fur scraps in his workshop. From some of these scraps, I sewed myself a misshapen hat. My mother was horrified by the haphazard look created by my basic sewing skills. I thought it was great because it was unusual and a bit provocative. It suited us well as we practiced peaceful rebellion, even at school, without compromising our dedication to learning. This continued until we graduated from high school.
Now comes a Christiane Gotte. As the head of the highest parent representation. Which calls itself the Federal Parents‘ Council. And, almost 50 years later, suggests a „consensus on a dress code“. Including a corresponding code of conduct. She argues that it is about „inappropriate, sloppy, torn, or revealing clothing“. It should be prohibited in schools. Otherwise, students should be sent home and encouraged to dress properly. Welcome to the Stone Age!
But somehow, Frau Gotte apparently feels a bit like the Force de frappe when it comes to clothing. In the neighboring country of France, President Macron recently advocated for standardized uniforms in schools. Thanks to the German Teachers‘ Association, for once, it is appreciated that they still have their wits about them. They argue that young people should continue to have the freedom to dress as they please when going to school. Neat, wrinkled, or torn.
The association correctly notes that in Germany, due to our history, we are oriented towards freedom, self-determination, and maturity. However, it seems that the head of all parents with school-age children somehow missed this in the classroom. Did she oversleep? Did she not do her homework? And the Association for Education and Upbringing also rightly argues that even considering that everyone looks equally conventional, social inequalities, etc. are not prevented.
Ich mache es kurz: Der Vorstoß von Frau Gotte ist derart bildungsfern und dämlich, dass sie schon deswegen aus dem Sessel der Chefin des Bundeselternbeirats gefegt werden müsste. Wahlweise könnte sie auch ein halbes Jahrhundert nachsitzen. Solange währt etwa die Spanne von der Erkenntnis meiner Schulzeit, die Konformitäten zur Hölle schickte, bis heute, da doch tatsächlich Elternbeiräte mit derart vorsintflutlichen und undurchdachten Ideen glauben, das Fach Unfug im Schulalltag einführen zu müssen.
I am confident that German students, as it is a good virtue, do not mean being old since being young, should not only show the Federal Parents‘ Council their torn jeans, but also at least give them a hard time. And such suggestions quickly end up in the mothball box. Education takes place in the mind, not in the mirror. Personally, I prefer intelligence in sneakers over polished stupidity any day. And I would really appreciate it if Christiane Gotte were sent home.