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Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP)
Photo: Bernd von Jutrczenka / dpa
From the perspective of Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP), schools have a responsibility to prepare young people for the event of war.
»Civil defense is immensely important; it also belongs in schools.
The goal must be to strengthen our resilience," said Stark-Watzinger to the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday's edition).
Society as a whole must prepare well for crises - from a pandemic to natural disasters to war, said the FDP politician.
Civil defense exercises in schools therefore make sense.
In other countries, such as Great Britain, the topic is dealt with much more naturally: »There, exercises in the event of a disaster are part of everyday life in schools.
We can learn from that.”
She called on schools to develop a “relaxed relationship with the Bundeswehr.”
"I think it's important that youth officers come to schools and report what the Bundeswehr is doing for our security," she told the Funke newspapers.
She “cannot understand” reservations about this.
Young people must know the threats to freedom and be able to deal with the dangers, said Stark-Watzinger.
This doesn't have to be a separate school subject, but it does have to be a learning content.
Schools have the task of highlighting risks in an age-appropriate manner, she said.
“It’s also about confronting worries and fears.”
vet/AFP