Thuringia to introduce constitutional coaches in schools

The Thuringian Ministry of Education is introducing constitutional coaches to schools to strengthen democracy education and combat anti-democratic tendencies. This initiative, being developed in cooperation with the University of Jena, aims to provide teachers and school administrations with targeted support, practical training, and dedicated contact persons to address issues such as hate speech and unconstitutional symbols.

In response to rising incidents of right-wing extremism—including 101 reported suspected offenses involving symbols like swastikas last year—the ministry is also expanding the ‘constitutional quarter-hour’ (Verfassungsviertelstunde). This program, which uses students' everyday experiences to discuss constitutional values, was initially piloted at select schools and is slated for expansion to all schools in Thuringia this autumn.

Education Minister Christian Tischner emphasized that teachers should not have to face hate or extremist symbols alone, stating that a democratic school culture does not emerge on its own. The ministry has also published a compilation of free advisory and prevention services regarding extremism on its website for pedagogical teams.