‘All children enjoy going to school!’

The school competition ‘Alle für EINE WELT für alle’ on development policy is a team competition in which classes, work and learning groups of all kinds can participate, so that togetherness comes to the fore and a dialogue can develop.

What’s your project about?
Finn & Alexander from the Phorms Campus München: We were interested in knowing what it’s like to go to school in a developing country. Do children like going to school there? What are their hopes for the future? What are the differences between school there and school here in Germany?

How did you go about it?
We first of all developed a questionnaire. With the help of our international Phorms network, we were able to survey students in Brazil, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kosovo, Ukraine and China. As well as the interviews, we also searched online for information about school systems in these countries. 

What did you find out?
It was really interesting that all children enjoy going to school! The students in all countries understood how important good education is for their future. Although we also discovered, for example, that in African countries children in school are often hit as a punishment. And girls don’t always have the same opportunities to go to school as boys. And the school infrastructure is often poor. In some cases, the school day is very long, and students can be under a lot of pressure as well. Compared with Germany, children in developing countries don’t often receive the education they would need.

What projects were submitted by other participants on your geography enrichment course?
One team studied oceans and ocean resources from the perspective of sustainable development. Others took topics such as animal welfare and rainforests, and problems in developing countries. And a story about environmental protection was also written. 

What did you find most moving during the project work?
We were particularly moved by the fact that children who go to school in other countries grow up in a less safe environment than we do and are sometimes exposed to violence.

*Enrichment courses are part of an immersive programme at the Phorms Secondary School in Munich that offers talented and motivated students the opportunity to expand their knowledge base and skills. The courses also cover special topics that are not catered for to this extent in lessons on a typical school day.