CONTRADICTIONS IN EDUCATIONAL-POLICY

In the Federal Republic of Germany, educational policy is characterized by several, until now indissoluble contradictions. To exemplify this, attention is drawn to the conflicts concerning the structure of the educational system, the ideological fixations, and the relation between the Federal Republic and the individual states. With the constitution of the parliamentary commission "Future Educational Policy - Education 2000" educational-policy counseling has been transfered to the German Bundestag. Yet, this commission has not managed to overcome the contradictions and tensions in educational policy, either. With regard to almost all of the problematic issues, there have been majority (Christian Democrats and Liberals) and minority (Social Democrats, Green Party/Alliance 90) votes. The attempt to contribute to an educational planning for the whole country has failed again. Still, the final reprot represents an important document offering both a problem analysis and a guideline with respect to the pros and cons of educational policy as well as a source for the ongoing discussion on educational policy.