The «Grammar of Schooling» as a populist resource. A case study on two failing school reforms in Germany and Switzerland

  • Carsten Quesel
Keywords: Education policy, governance, school reform, direct democracy, populism

Abstract

This contribution presents a comparative study of two school reform projects in Germany and Switzerland, both supported by a strong parliamentarian majority, yet rejected by direct democracy mechanisms. Both reform policies aimed at improving disadvantaged children’s educational opportunities without sacrificing the achievement principle. Primary school reorganization played a key role in both projects. The author argues that this reorganization plan has been confronted, in both countries, with stereotyped conceptions of what a «normal school» should be. Using the concept of Grammar of Schooling, the author shows how such conceptions are exploited as populist resource within direct democratic mobilization.

Published
2018-10-03
How to Cite
Quesel, C. (2018) “The «Grammar of Schooling» as a populist resource. A case study on two failing school reforms in Germany and Switzerland”, Swiss Journal of Educational Research, 34(1), pp. 99–116. doi: 10.24452/sjer.34.1.4877.