The benefits of civil aviation

It is one of the most modern and fashionable ways to travel and move about. Instead of getting into the car and going where it is nice at the weekend, even low-paid employees treat themselves to a weekend visit to London for shopping or Mallorca for a quick swim in the Mediterranian. Holidays are much cheaper anyway if you go on an all-inclusive holiday to Turkey or the Dominican Republic. So what?

Airports proudly announce constant increases in passenger figures and turnover, airlines sell out bargains of 19€-flights to who-knows-where, and if you refuse or just cut down on flying, you seem to be a kill-joy.

Have you ever imagined to live near one of these busy airports? I don´t have to imagine, I do. It´s a nightmarish experience if you can tell the age of the pilot in the cockpit when the aircraft hovers over your head and your ears go deaf with the noise from the engines. It´s not funny to be awakened in the middle of the night by aircraft taking off or landing and feeling shattered for the rest of the day because you couldn´t go back to sleep. Not to mention the fumes these monsters emit with every overflight.

Politicians and airport officials stay relaxed. The chosen few have to suffer for the benefits of the majority. Any lawnmower, they tell us, or the street or railway nearby emit more noise than an aircraft over your head. Well... how long do you use your lawnmower? Are you allowed and willing to use it at night? Or at noontime? Every city street is protected by speed limits at least it night for reasons of noise abatement. No chance for near-airport residents.

If we all would be willing to slow down life a bit, we would need only a fraction of flights. It would bring us nearer to the ideal which Mahatma Ghandi described this way:

"There is more to life than constantly increasing its speed."

This certainly would mean less profits for airports and airlines all over the world. But who cares?

Christian religion as a school subject?

A few weeks ago, a poll took place in Berlin about the introduction of Christion religion as a school subject. The initiators was an initiative of the Catholic and Protestant churches together with some VIPs, such as the tv moderator of "How to become a Millionaire", who is very popular in Germany. The idea was to be able to choose between the official subject Ethics and Chistian religion as an official subject.

The local Berlin government started a campaign against the introduction, and the initiative for the introduction of Christian religion failed in the end. There were only few people interested in the poll, and those who were voted against.

Religion combines historic facts, ethic rules, opposes violence in every day life and teaches understanding of other religions. It has nothing to do with fundamentalistic belief and old-fashioned ideas. It stands in the tradition of Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King. So why not teaching youngsters about these ideas?

In Germany, there is a split going throught the country between north and south. In the southern federal states, religion is a normal school subject as Mathematics or languages, and there is no choice. Everybody has to take Catholic religion, no matter of his or her faith. In the rest of Germany, students and parents can choose, and it is only in Berlin that there is no choice between Ethics and Religion. Especially in Germany´s east, religion is classed as outdated. That is even though the churches in the former German Democratic Republic had a large part in criticising and finally doing away with the communist government. People forget fast.

Imagine the United States without its Christian roots or Great Britain without its Christian traditions. Certainly, a lot of ugly developments like crusades and slavery could have been avoided, but what about charity in the name of the churches?

Amongst my colleagues, the opinion is clear, and I am the absolute minority. Everybody is talking about tolerance, nowadays. Only, it doesn´t seem to apply to tose who think it worth believing in something else but consumption, superstition and the overestimation of the self and one´s own life and ideas.

That´s what every religion s about: Humility, the consciousness that men can´t influence everything and only live up to their own interests.

Is there a chance for kids traumatised in early childhood?

It seems that there are no chances for traumatised children. How much help can be provided, and how much help can foster families and authorities provide?

The problem with traumatised foster children is that foster families need professional support. Most traumatised foster children have never experienced a caring family or parents. They have been neglected and have experienced violence and evil situations before they have been removed from their families. They have never had the chance to establish a positive relationship to parents or relatives, and they have a deep mistrust against all adults. So they refuse to rely on any help offered, which is quite comprehensible. In situations which remind them of their former life they dissociate from the situation, and at the same time transfer their former reactions to their carers, believing that they represent the adults who have traumatised them. If they are not helped by trauma therapists, they will never lose this habit. This can make a child unbearable for a family. The family might have to put up with aggressive outbreaks, disruption of family life and other symptoms of early childhood traumatisation.

Still, living in a state-supported institution like children´s homes or housing groups is not necessarily better, and, worst of all, there are too few. It can take months or even years to transfer a traumatised child to a housing group which can cope with the behaviour of traumatised children and at the same time provide specialist help, so that these children have a chance of a good start into independent life after their coming of age. Precious time is wasted which might have been used for helping these children to lead a normal life.

This is what I have experienced during the past few weeks, and maybe it sounds clever, professional and reserved. But there is a development behind this which is hurting and seeing this development from a distance helps to cope and get things straightened out.

We had to put Sue, our younger foster daughter under the custody of the youth welfare office, which means that with her consent we took her to the nearest available children´s home. We were not able to cope with the symptoms of her traumatic experiences any more, and knowing that many institutions refused to accept her we don´t feel guilty or responsible for this pitiful situation. She lives there in a group of youngsters who all have been removed from critical situations in their families, mostly against their own will. Janet, her older sister, is still living with us. I visit Sue mostly once a week, but I noticed that she is trying to put up a distance between herself and me. Some say it is because she feels guilty, some say that this is the repeated break off of a relation. I don´t know how to judge this; I am not even sure that she ever has established a family relation to the rest of us.

The situation in this children´s home is far from ideal. The youth welfare office is trying to find a specialised housing group, but this seems difficult. So the situation still is quite unsettled. Our role as her family can only be to keep up contact to her and monitor her situation. There is only one chance to keep a relation. Visits to her must be well prepared with her by a therapist, and with us as well by a therapeutic supervision. This is what I am just discussing with the youth welfare office so that we get the support we need.

A new start for our foster family

It is six and a half years ago, when Sue and Janet came to live with us. We had many nice times, like holidays in France and Britain, our families had accepted both of them, they found friends and enjoyed their freedom.

But finally, every-day life got the better of us. The symptoms of the multiple trauma from which Sue is suffering made life in our family unbearable. Something had to happen.

So I searched for hospitals with a department and medical staff for traumatic therapies. I made dozens of phonecalls, wrote letters, talked to doctors. It was the same everywhere. Clinics have a special supply area which they are assigned to. The clinic for our supply area, however, is lacking experience with traumatised children. So we had to abandon that possibility of helping Sue and taking her into our family after six weeks´ of treatment.

The next chance was to find a therapeutic housing group to accommodate her. Endless phone calls again. But everybody told me that there was no chance of accommodating her for the reason of lacking offers.

This was the most disappointing moment for me in all the years we were trying to help Sue. There was not the least of a chance.

Meanwhile, the problems increased. Janet threatened to leave if we didn´t do anything about the situation.

So we decided a week ago to give Sue into the custody of the youth welfare office. We talked to Sue and told her that it would be better for all of us if she left. She agreed. She helped packing clothing and most of her belongings. She appeared in my study, and asked if she could choose something of my belongings, and I gladly agreed. She also took with her the photos of our last holiday to Britain and some photos of our family. It all happened very quietly, we took her to the childrens´ home where she was welcomed warmly, and we left after a short farewell.

So it´s us three now, Janet still staying with us. The situation is still distressing, but it is quiet and peaceful now. Our psychological supervisor sonfirmed that it was the right step to take. We ar e still keeping contact to Sue, visiting her, and we have a perspective for her, as we have found a therapeutic housing group for her where she can live. It won´t be the end, and we have the support of the youth welfare office official in keeping up the relationship. So it seems that everything might turn out all right. What a relief for all of us! The next step will be finding a special therapyy for traumatised children, and we think that we can do that, as well.

Incredible Tina Turner

A grey, cold Wednesday evening in Hannover. Masses of people flocking to the TUI Arena. Everybody is in anticipation of the things to come. What is she going to be like? Still the old one with nearly seventy? Calmer? Less professional?

A huge stage. Huge loudspeakers hanging from the ceiling. LCD screens. A video camera mounted to a rail in front of the stage. A lonely microphone in the middle. A young bloke checking the microphone bar on easy moving out and in.

Blasting music from the loudspeakers. Guitar sounds from dozens of sound monitors indicating that the musicians are already on stage.

Finally. The curtain is raising. Tina moving down on a lowering platform. Stepping down, spinning around the stage, in a black, glittering legging. Not a notion of being near 70. Pure fun and music.

Ah, now. She´s leaving the stage. Having a break for a while? Is this show too much for her? Too much strain on the body? Four young men performing stunts for a few minutes.

And there she is again. Completely new outfit, new clothes, dresses. What´s love got to do with it: The sing-along performance for the crowd. One solid hour of music and dancing. The lead and accompanying guitarists, two keybord players, cool and professional, chewing their chewing gums, the female dancers adding erotic flair to the performance. Still, always in the center of action: Tina, the star.

One hour of solid music and dancing. The break. Time for a half-filled pint of beer and a cigarette in the smokers´area.

The curtain lifting again. The guitarists, with acoustic guitars, the back-up vocalists, all in a half circle sitting on the stage, Tina right in the middle, quiet, slow music. Almost like in a private living room. But not for long. Tina in changed dress again, the guitarists with their electric guitars again, in the back of the stage. Tina spinning around the stage again.

Then the final curtain. The arena is boiling. Tina will know the meaning of the word: ZUGABE! MORE! And she doesn´t leave their audience beging for a long time. Everybody back on stage! There it is: NATBUSH CITY LIMITS! She is stepping on a big crane-like metal arm, hovering above the audience, amimating the audience to shout NATBUSH again and again. What a performance! Everybody accepting the last and final curtain now.

What a performance! The final credits showing the huge enterprise of Tina Turner concerts. First the musicians and back-up vocals, the dancers who she calls her "flowers". Truck and bus drivers, video planners for getting the star and her movements on that massive video screen so that everybody from the last corner can watch her performance.

What an organisation! What a team! Everybody co-operating for one single goal, the success of a single star. In the end, it is everybody´s success. I know backstage. The star gets all the attention. He/she is the brand mark for the team. It is hard work and discipline. It is much preparing work, every single sound, every movement is planned and practised. It´s got to be perfect, perfectionism in its highest form which looks coincidence and chance, but is neatly planned.

High professionalism. I would be proud of so much professionalism and motivation in German schools. High authenticity. Standing behind ones profession.

Anyway, I enjoyed this professionalism. Never mind the costs. Pure motivation for somebody like me at the age of 58. I still can dance, enjoy myself, my job and my life. And I enjoyed Tina´s performance as much as I possibly could.

New Year´s bang

It started at 7 p.m. Nobody knows why. Bring in the cats; they´ll go bazurk. Feed and calm them.

Eleven thirty in the Berlin Fast Transit train. A goup of young people. They are igniting a canon cracker right under the seats. Is there a chance to ask for the use of this action?

10 to midnight on a Berlin re-vegetated landfill from after WWII from which most of the city can be viewed. Ear-deafening banging has started from fireworks going off. Why now?

Same location, midnight. Hell has broken loose. Everybody has ignited some sort of fireworks, nice to be admired. All of the city is illuminated.

The chime of churchbells is drowned in the noise. Vapour is rising from the ground. Respirative dust. As much as cars would never be allowed to emit in this country during a matter of years.

Don´t ask for the costs. How many suffering families could be fed. How much money is wasted.

Someone said, the poorer the families the bigger the fireworks. It all doesn´t go together.

There are people who would give the world for a quiet New Year. Who are hit by bombs and rockets and who loathe the sound of expoding ammunition.

My father always said: I don´t need any New Year fireworks. I have had enough of banging during war.

Why don´t you let the students do the job?

Sometimes I hate the school I am employed at. And so do my colleagues, more often than I do. Lessons start at 7:30 a.m., announced by a bell that could revive the dead, telling me that I have to show up in a certain classroom expecting a certain number and sort of students, with the task to fill 45 minutes with some knowledge which they could possibly make use of, hoping that they are really nterested in and knowing that life outside these school building walls is so different to their experience out there over the weekend or after a 2-6-week holiday.

Life in the real world is so different from school.

Does it really have to be? Or is it all a problem linked to my experience? Experience which is so much different to the experience of my students?

Let me dream a dream for a while.
Everyone knows when it is time to get at work. I do, my students do. We meet after the holidays to make a common experience. The students in their first year of training have experienced by now what I expect my lessons to be like and what I expect of them. They have introduced their training companies to each other, and they know that we will learn about how to set up, lead and finish telephone conversations in business in English. They are most interested, and they can´t wait for getting the information about rules and phrases which they have to use. They will apply their knowledge right away in an international relationship with a partner school or company in a live real time conversation. They can improve their skills and gain self-confidence.

In a common project, even the 22nd year students could teach their 1st year fellow students to how to use the telephone. This would mean a repetition for them which would be of great use.

Reality looks different.
The computer rooms are occupied by the most important accounting and business subjects. Skype or other real-time VoIP-providers are not allowed as they could be used for private purposes. Further obstacles: neetly elaborated time tables, the feeling of being "somethng better", the competitive advantage of being able to finish training earlier and gettig the only job left in the company.

Why don´t we let the students do the job of studying, finding out information, putting their knowledge into practise?

First.
Teachers have been conditioned to be hyperactive and have everything in the classroom under control; an objective which can hardly be reached, and, on top of that, is not really desirable. But, to be honest, most of us feel a bit useless when the students are at work and we as teachers have nothing to do. (only later, when correcting assignments!)

Second.
Vocational training in Germany is very much administrated, and so Students´ Conferences related to certain subjects (e.g. Business English, Marketing Strategies, the Political System of Germany), being organised in workshops which would bring together hundreds of trainees to make true learning experiences, would be impossible to attain.

Let me go on dreaming a bit:
The first step in reforming the German vocational school system would be to change German vocational schools into Centres of Further Education. These would comprise initial vocational education for school leavers, further education offers for those changing their jobs and further qualification. We already have this in the UK and Denmark.

The second step would be centralised colleges of further education which offer courses for trainees and further education students where everybody can meet and exchange information and co-operate. They could contact further education students all over Europe and America.

This is my dream of real student-centred education. But it would mean more flexibility in the state school system and the redundancy of a lot of administrative staff. The chance of this to happen unfortunately is tending to zero.

Still, I am very much interested in how other countries are dealing with this problem.