Michael Espendiller, July 2, 2020, Digitalization Education

Michael Espendiller

Digitalization Education

German Bundestag, July 2, 2020, Plenarprotokoll 19/170, pp. 21257-21258

[Michael Espendiller is an Alternative für Deutschland Bundestag member from the western German state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. He is a mathematician.]

The magenta socialists of the FDP have again carved out a motion on the cutting edge [hippen] theme of “Digitalization in Education”. Unfortunately, dear colleagues of the FDP, I must say: You have really not yet heard the shot! This motion completely by-passes the reality of our schools. This motion even completely by-passes the digitalization theme; since the main problems with Corona were not faulty equipment or conceptual ideas, but faulty WLAN, over-burdened networks and faulty crisis management. Yet, if you were to be followed, dear magentas, we would only bring up in our schools complete idiots who look at a couple of on-line Erklär videos and then call that learning.  

            Michael Theurer (FDP): Who then all vote for the AfD, Herr colleague!

To your motion: You posit the steep thesis that the means of only the DigitalPakt Schools will not be retrieved because the instructions are too complicated. On that account, you propose that the corresponding instructions shall not be applied until the end of 2021. I gave that some consideration and I must say: If the schools are actually unable to go on-line to read through a couple of pages to fulfill the requirements, then neither should they be let loose on our children.

            Jens Brandenburg (FDP): You obviously have no idea how that works!

I know our school principals and I know our schools and I quite exactly understand that the problem is not here. That is to say, you are on the utterly wrong path, dear FDP, and that already since the beginning of this legislative period. For two years, I have spoken on this theme to you, that we have left our schools and teachers alone with a mountain of duties and work. One example: Instead of strengthening special needs schools [Förderschulen], our teachers shall push a false presentation of inclusion. They shall besides shoulder the main burden of integration. And then the teachers shall also conduct the eco-propaganda, nicely named “Education for Sustainable Development” and which shall be built into each department. And then there shall naturally be the digitalization.

Worthy colleague politicians, you must be completely deranged. We have a teacher scarcity at all levels, over-sized classes and a deficient child care ratio. Those are the problems we must address. I have in the meantime spoken on this theme for two years and nothing has happened. We have no additional teachers, our teachers receive no additional time for preparation of instruction or for extra instruction. We need more personnel! When will you finally get that into your heads? You cannot assign ever more duties and at the same time not increase the personnel.

In the Corona crisis we have certainly witnessed schools and teachers who have taken the initiative so as to adjust their instruction as best as possible to the conditions and to digitalization. And even here they were once again left alone because in the ministries of the neither the states nor the Federal government were there emergency plans as to how to deal with such a situation.

Kai Gehring (Greens): Are you now for or against digitalization? Is there or is there not Corona? What then is now your position?

Despite that, the teachers have made the best of it. Yes, there are a couple of black sheep and it is by far not perfect; yet the digitalization leap in education which we have made throughout, we all may presently see. And for that, we require no one from the dear FDP. Besides, you therefore perhaps have not a single word of thanks in your motion for our teachers who in the face of Corona have performed massive work, or for the teachers who have shouldered the double burden of home office and home schooling.

Basically –this I still wish to add – we could gladly keep up on digital learning concepts. But we of the AfD want first of all that our students be securely based in the traditional Kulturtechniken of reading, writing and figuring.

            Matthias Seestern-Pauly (FDP): That does not exclude one of the others!

Besides that, information has an equal right to be gladly taken up as a fourth Kulturtechnik. For that, however, we require more than ever a strong presence culture in the schools and sufficient,  motivated teachers. On that account, we reject the motion of the FDP.

Thanks.

            Matthias Seestern-Pauly (FDP): Again, a revelation!

[Translation by Todd Martin]

           

Alice Weidel, July 3, 2020, Violence in Stuttgart

Alice Weidel

Violence in Stuttgart

German Bundestag, July 3, 2020, Plenarprotokoll 19/171, pp. 21491-21492

[Alice Weidel is a chairman of the Alternative für Deutschland delegation in the German Bundestag as well as AfD chairman in the western German state of Baden-Württemberg.]

The rubble in Stuttgart’s inner city has been cleared away, the fragments of the shattered display windows and plundered shops swept up. Yet the shock still abides deeply with the police officers  who were attacked with maximum brutality by an organized mob and whose cudgeled colleagues are in the hospital, and with the citizens whose apparently peaceful city became over-night a showplace of scenes similar to civil war.

After the Stuttgart riot night [Krawallnacht], we cannot simply continue as before, as if there was no fundamental problem. Not only Stuttgart, every German city, the entire country has a problem; and that problem is not called racism, that problem is called political failure.

The violence on the streets of Stuttgart did not come out of the clear, blue sky. It was no Party and Event Scene having its fling. Rowdies and brawlers are not party people but criminals who must be strictly punished.

This trivialization is besides an insult to peaceful party goers, to bar patrons and club members suffering under the much too long and harsh lockdown and the continuing Corona restrictions. The mob in Stuttgart which challenged the state’s monopoly of force and made targeted attacks upon police officers as deputies of state authority was recruited from two groups: Aggressive, young men with migrant backgrounds and organized, violence-prone leftist extremists. Both are the fruit of a false, irresponsible policy.

An immigration which is in fact unlimited and uncontrolled has in the meantime lead to a situation in many German cities where there is a critical potential of young men, mainly from Islamic-oriental cultures, who more or less despise the German state and the majority society.

            Timon Gremmels (SPD): Lübcke’s murderer despised the state! Who donated 

            to you!

Along with that is the political and even in part publicly financed coddling of radical leftist groups which disguise themselves as fighters against the right. That has favored the formation of an organized and militant extreme leftist milieu which openly challenges the state of law and claims for itself areas free from the law.   

A majority of this house a few weeks ago refused to vote for a ban on leftist-terrorist Antifa groups.

            Gabriele Katzmarek (SPD): Now that is just idiotic!

The Stuttgart Krawallnacht is just one of the many receipts which are still to be presented.

And it is a receipt for the unexampled playing with fire which has increasingly gone about this country in recent weeks. The moral arsonists

            Helin Sommer (Linke): You are the moral arsonists!

are before all to be found on the green-red side of the political spectrum, unfortunately in this house – and by that I certainly mean you

            Helin Sommer (Linke): You are the moral  arsonists!

there, where one mindlessly acknowledges oneself to be a so-called Antifa, lying about its extreme leftist background, a dubious movement which is hostile to the state of law, and where the police and security forces are disassembled, accused of a general racism and placed under suspicion.

            Armin-Paulus Hampel (AfD): Go to the devil!

This irresponsible talk by all those who reject this state and legal order, with or without migrant background, with or without a German passport, is to be understood as an encouragement to experiment with revolt and civil war, just as we have seen.

A state which can no longer guarantee the security of its citizens, and cannot generally and at any time enforce law and statute, puts its own legitimacy at risk. For this duty, our police officers require more than lip service and good wishes; they require complete political backing!

            Helin Sommer (Linke): Not defined by you!

That is also called: A policy which without prejudice opposes anyone who posits extremism, who attacks the state of law and the public order, and expels from the country anyone who abuses the law of hospitality

            Helin Sommer (Linke): Who are here in house!

and attacks the state and its deputies.

            Timon Gremmels (SPD): Clean up your own act!

To openly address the facts and maldevelopments is the first step toward again enforcing the order of the state of law to its full extent. The Stuttgart Krawallnacht was also a wake up call with which to finally get started.

I am grateful.

            Helin Sommer (Linke): Shame on you!

Shame on you with your attack squad!

[Translated by Todd Martin]