Michael Mangold: Bildung, Begabung und Nützlichkeit

Dr. Michael Mangold (ZKM | Institute for Media, Education, and Economics)

The debate about education in Germany has been significantly restricted in past years to discussion of the mediation of directly marketable knowledge. Fundamental reforms of the educational system, such as those realized in the context of the “Bologna process,” clearly express this pure efficiency oriented economization of the educational system. However, “education” means more than the mediation of directly utilizable knowledge. Higher socio-political tasks, such as the assurance of social cohesion, promotion of cultural development, and strengthening of democracy, are not possible without progressive education that also leads to an ability to make normative judgments. A very narrow limitation of the concept of education to the interests of individual companies would, in the long term, also be counterproductive economically as inventions and innovations relevant to growth require free space for creative thinking and incalculable action.