Hierarchical, traditional state schools create social pressures
In the aftermath of the German school shooting that left 15 people dead, Guardian columnist Sabine Rennefanz points to the country’s old-fashioned education system as a factor. One reason Germany has the highest number of school shootings after the U.S., she argues, is that state schools are traditional institutions, where many teachers are in need of a social and psychological refresher; the average age of teachers in Berlin is 54. Meanwhile, rising social pressures mean that competition among students has become increasingly fierce.