School Museum in Kornwestheim: At the start of school: These 6 things no student knows anymore

In the first room immediately after the entrance at Schillerstrasse 13, the history of schools in Württemberg from the Middle Ages to the middle of the 20th century is presented on six huge display boards that look like books. “We designed the display boards so that they look like books and the texts on them are significantly shortened,” says Dams. Another new feature is the opportunity to get involved. In the room, you can try your hand at writing words in Sütterlin and the even older Kurrent script.

Another innovation awaits at the other end of the museum. A nature discovery trail (with games) has been brought over from the closed Ravensburger games world on the wall. Here, too, there is a hands-on station in the middle of the room. You can paint, do crafts and solve puzzles. “We want to attract more visitors at the weekend and not just school classes during the week,” says Dams. More hands-on activities like this are needed.

Throughout the museum – one room is decorated like a classroom from around 1900 – you can experience what it must have been like to go to school 50 to 130 years ago. A lot has improved in schools since then, but there are also things that some people may have missed in today’s school system.

1. Less pressure for students to attend high school

“There was certainly not as much pressure to go to high school in the past,” says Dams. The downside, of course, was that the path in life was often predetermined by the parents.

2. Quiet in the classroom – also because of corporal punishment

In contrast to today, 100 years ago there was a very strong regime in the classroom. The teacher also used physical force to enforce his will. With class sizes of 50 to 60 children, “discipline and order” prevailed.

3. No cell phones at school – no distractions and cyberbullying

The problems that teachers have to deal with in the face of new media were of course not an issue in 1900. Neither were distractions or cyberbullying.

4. No initiative required – more frontal teaching and memorization

Project work or finding out about topics on your own were not in demand in the past. This is also due to a lack of pedagogical experience. Frontal teaching and memorization instead of understanding were the order of the day.

5. Legible handwriting was essential for teaching

Anyone who wanted to communicate in writing had to be able to write in cursive, and documents thus received a personal note. A skill that is now dying out.

6. No all-day school – but there was no more free time for children

Ending school at 11.30 a.m. may sound tempting for children today, given the trend towards all-day schooling. But classes often started at 6.30 a.m. After school, children had to work, for example in the fields.