School Psychology in Germany

Abstract

The attempts of the so-called reform pedagogy in Weimar Germany (19'91933) were eagerly welcomed by large groups of progressive-minded teachers, especially in the elementary schools. In this atmosphere of creative movement it was not surprising that the science of psychology found a new field of fertile ground. Problems of individual children, the psychological foundations of the learning process, and testing and measurement as diagnostic and prognostic means, arose as areas of wide interest. As early as 1926 the city of Mannheim (270,000 inhabitants) employed the first school psychologist in German public school systems. Primarily his position was to act in an advisory capacity to the city superintendent's office. Among his major duties were: the administration of psychological tests for retarded children, selection of candidates for secondary schools, cooperation with municipal health authorities in special cases, counseling of parents and teachers, and research in problems of educational psychology. Other cities became interested in this pioneer work and the state school authorities began to look favorably at the field of school psychology. The events of 1933 and Hitler's rise to power brought a sudden end to these promising developments. After a short time the new regime, with its emphasis on regimentation, subordination, and uniformity, practically banned all psychological activities in public education. Most school psychologists joined the Army psychology staff (the only field open to them) and henceforth very few psychological contributions to education were received by the schools in the years between 1933 and 1945. After the Second World War the first efforts of educators in Germany were devoted to the urgent task of reopening the schools and providing children with regular instruction and learning opportunities which they had desperately missed during the war years. As soon as conditions had improved to the point where one could speak of normal school life again, educators all over Germany began to look into possibilities for change and improvements. In a new era of freedom psychology took i s place again in Germany's educational system. In Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart, Frankfort, and other cities, child guidance clinics and other psychological services were established and regular positions for school psychologists were opened in the schools. In the city of Mannheim the official position of psychological advisor was reestablished and the writer was given the responsibility of organizing the psychological services for 52 elementary schools in that city's system. The following description of professional activities can be considered as typical of the work which is carried on in big city school systems in Western Germany. According to the administrative policies for school psychologists adopted by the Ministry of Education in Wurttemberg-Baden in 1953,1 the school psychologist's functions extend to the following areas: