Do schools in Germany have a problem with religious discrimination? A research by the German broadcaster WDR on a recent study suggests that they do – especially with regard to Islam.
A study by the International University of Hanover confirms that German schools have a religious bullying problem. ‘The available data clearly shows that the respondents identify a variety of religiously motivated conflicts and, in some cases, Islamist radicalisation tendencies in schools,’ is the core conclusion of the non-representative survey, which WDR Newsroom has obtained exclusively (Thursday). According to WDR, over a third of the 700 school employees questioned perceive religious conflicts among pupils.
One result of the study ‘Religiously motivated conflicts at school – opportunities and challenges for prevention and the promotion of democracy’ suggests that conflicts arise particularly around Islam. For example, teachers and social workers interviewed observed pupils who wanted to impose their faith on others or ostracised other adolescents because they were not fasting. Anti-Jewish behaviour was also reported.
According to the broadcaster, more than one in four respondents experienced Islamist attitudes among pupils. They tolerated violence against people of other faiths and women or sympathised with extremist groups. These were personal assessments of the respondents, not documented cases. The study also shows that Islamism is often mentioned when Muslim pupils behave in a hostile manner.
The study was reportedly co-financed by the Federal Ministry of Education as part of the ‘Social Causes and Effects of Radical Islam in Germany and Europe’ funding programme. WDR published an initial contribution to the survey in the programme ‘’Die andere Frage‘’ on the video portal YouTube.