How school succeeds: Our topics in September
Dear reader
His credo was: parents don't have to be consistent, but credible. Good parent-child relationships don't fall from the sky - they have to be shaped. And: children don't need boundaries, they need relationships.
«Think of your family as an exciting new project whose individual participants are not highly qualified from the outset.»
Jesper Juul, Danish family therapist (1948 - 2019)
We have collectedmore quotes from Jesper Juul here. And you can read all of JesperJuul's texts here.
Jesper Juul has shaped people like no other in recent decades with his parenting and relationship principles. On 25 July, our columnist died at the age of 71 after a long illness. Caroline Märki knew Jesper Juul personally. In her obituary, the founder of familylab.ch, a counselling network for families, remembers a man and friend who «enriched my life immeasurably».
«We don't want people to pretend that a revolution is necessary because nothing is supposedly working and the school system is broken. We want to show how teachers and parents can have a positive impact and make a difference.» This is how learning experts Fabian Grolimund and Stefanie Rietzler described their concept «How schools succeed» six months ago. The dossier is now available. Their conclusion: a lot is happening in public schools. And: If parents want to see even more change, they should support their children's teachers. «How schools succeed» - an encouraging dossier.
A new book by Fabian Grolimund and Stefanie Rietzler is being published these days. In «Geborgen, mutig, frei» («Secure, courageous, free»), the two authors provide a wealth of tips on how parents can boost their children's self-esteem and self-confidence. True to their philosophy: children who know and utilise their strengths and accept their weaknesses get through life better.
Thomas Minder has been the headmaster of German-speaking Switzerland since 1 August. He told my colleague Evelin Hartmann and me how he envisages the classroom of the future and what he thinks about the abolition of homework. A whole host of challenges await the new president of the headteachers' association; perseverance and staying power are required. Familiar qualities for Thomas Minder: The man is a passionate mountain biker.
The new apprenticeship year has just begun for many young people. Thousands of apprenticeship places are still unfilled. Why it has become more difficult for many companies to find apprentices, how to find an apprenticeship and what digitalisation means for career choices are three of the topics in our 68-page special issue on career choices. It is enclosed with this issue and can be ordered together with it.
I hope you enjoy reading it.
Yours sincerely - Nik Niethammer