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As a result of continued failures and missed opportunities, schools in Switzerland are criticized in public and their future viability is questioned – also by teachers. Workshops moderated by Monika Herrmann from moderning show how a young, self-determined generation together with futurology can create essential impulses for alternatives worth living.

School model at present: missed opportunities, no concept for the future
Teacher shortages, burnout, lateral entrants trained in crash courses, unattractive working conditions, a school policy that has failed to respond to the challenges of the last fifty years. It maneuvers between conflicting interests instead of proactively shaping the future. This is the perception of the public, experts and teachers at least on the current situation of elementary school and preschool education in Switzerland.

Educational models put to the test
Against this backdrop, the self-image of teachers, policymakers and executive authorities needs to be scrutinized. Do educational models address the skills that will be needed in the future? What learning goals result from social and technological dynamics? Which interdisciplinary concepts are suitable for the promotion of students, individually, in groups as well as for social integration?

Going forward with futurology?
This is where futurology comes in – for the generation to whom the future belongs. With scenarios up to 2040 or further and thus beyond the usual planning horizon. In workshops, future images are created with desired states and an educational model that focuses on creativity, empathy, personal responsibility and social competence. Using the so-called backcasting method, the future images are re-projected to the present and tested for their suitability for implementation. Simultaneously, the images of the future make it clear where it is worthwhile to let go of what is believed to be reliable and to show the courage to “rulebreaking”.

moderning as a future coach
moderning moderates workshops under the guidance of Monika Herrmann, with which the school becomes fit for the future. The focus is placed on personality development. Artificial intelligence as well as digitalization are not only used to efficiently transmit traditional contents of learning. Consideration is also given to how pedagogical job profiles could be designed with a view to future-oriented educational goals. So that the school – thanks to futurology – has a future!