Rebuilding the German Education System (1948)

The October 1948 issue of Educational Leadership, on the theme of "Education's Place in Remaking the World," has several articles of interest to educators looking for some perspective on international education and the degrees to which the U.S. system has learned from and worked with other countries in the past.

Although articles like "We Can Learn from Austria" (PDF) and "Teacher Preparation in Japan" (PDF) make for good reading, one article in particular stands out. Mildred English shares her firsthand experience in "Rebuilding the German Education System," starkly appraising the state of education in occupied, postwar Germany and detailing the steps being taken to move forward.

• Read the article: Rebuilding the German Education System (PDF)

English explains, "Approximately 70 percent of all elementary school teachers were dismissed under the denazification program," and a fifth of all schoolrooms were destroyed. What's more, textbooks and other student materials needed to be completely rewritten to remove propaganda.

The story of rebuilding all aspects of an education system, from curriculum to physical spaces, is both sobering and engrossing to read. Particularly interesting is her description of committees developed to plan various aspects of curriculum, drawing membership from many community groups and reporting to U.S. staff. She describes these committees as "an effective means of in-service training for school leaders and teachers."

The article ends on a hopeful note, detailing international exchange programs and declaring that "there is ample opportunity for changes in a changing world."