The «Grammar of Schooling» as a populist resource. A case study on two failing school reforms in Germany and Switzerland

Abstract

This contribution presents a comparative study of two school reform projects in Germany and Switzerland, both supported by a strong parliamentarian majority, yet rejected by direct democracy mechanisms. Both reform policies aimed at improving disadvantaged children’s educational opportunities without sacrificing the achievement principle. Primary school reorganization played a key role in both projects. The author argues that this reorganization plan has been confronted, in both countries, with stereotyped conceptions of what a «normal school» should be. Using the concept of Grammar of Schooling, the author shows how such conceptions are exploited as populist resource within direct democratic mobilization.