Nazi Policies - Education

What was the Nazi view of education?

Nazi education policy was designed to make children loyal to the Nazi regime in preparation for their future roles in the state. Policies in education affected many aspects of young people's lives.

What were the aims of Nazi education policies?

The aim of Nazi education policies was to create a new generation of Nazis loyal to Hitler and believing in Nazi ideas.

Who was in charge of Nazi education?

Bernhard Rust, who had been a teacher, was appointed education minister in 1934.

How were teachers controlled by the Nazis education policies?

The Nazis controlled teachers in 3 key ways:

• ❖ The Nazis passed a law so that they could dismiss any teacher in April 1933. This enabled them to remove all 'unsuitable' teachers from schools.
• ❖ All teachers had to join the Nazi Teachers' Association or League. The League ran teacher-training courses to teach them Nazi ideas.
• ❖ Teachers had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler.

How was the curriculum in education controlled by the Nazis?

The Nazis completely changed the school curriculum in 4 key ways:

• ❖ They banned some subjects, such as religious education, and added new ones such as race studies. This taught children about the Nazi belief in the inferiority of some races.
• ❖ All educational books had to be rewritten from a Nazi point of view. History books glorified Germany's past and taught children that the country's defeat in the First World War was the fault of socialists, communists and the Jews.
• ❖ The number of physical education classes was increased, so students had at least five hours of PE a week.
• ❖ Girls and boys studied different subjects. Girls had to study 'domestic science' which included cooking and sewing lessons.

How were the textbooks in education controlled by the Nazis?

All textbooks had to be approved by the Nazis from 1935. Hitler's book 'Mein Kampf', or 'My Struggle', was made compulsory in every school.

How were Jewish students treated in education by the Nazis?

Jewish children were regularly humiliated and made to sit at the back of the class, until they were banned from going to school completely in 1938.

What was the role of the Adolf Hitler Schools in Nazi education?

Any talented boys aged between 12 and 18 were sent to Adolf Hitler Schools.