JAPAN PRIZE International Contest For Educational Media

JAPAN PRIZE 2007 : Program Details

The Pommernschule in Berlin-Charlottenburg faces many difficulties, primary among which are racism and domestic problems in the students' homes. There is daily violence and aggression among the students, chaos in the classrooms and extensive truancy. The school brings in two coaches to deal with these problems. They begin by asking the students to agree to show up for class and to help bring the truants back. Some students were attacked on the school grounds and one of the coaches agrees to be the arbiter between their rival gangs. At a reconciliation meeting, emotions run hot, but the incident is eventually resolved peacefully. The other coach works with a girl who is ostracized by most of the students, encouraging her to find courage and not give up. Under the guidance of one coach, a teacher instructs her students in the importance of mutual respect and civil behavior. She explains that disruptive students will face class meetings.

The initial challenge the jury faced was one of definition...what were we speaking about when it came to an "educational demand?"

Some of the jurors regarded this question in the sense that anything could be considered "educational" vs. looking at it from the perspective that this prize was best awarded to a program that responded to the needs of an educational system. In the end, both perspectives were appropriate.

The jury favored S.O.S. Schule: Cry for Help from the Classroom (episode 1) because the reality TV style of shooting vividly displayed the state of crisis resulting from bullying, family breakdown, and poor ethnic integration such that teachers were unable to manage by themselves. Learning was impossible. By bringing in "School Coaches" to intervene with teachers, parents and students, a measurable difference was made for all. As well, this program might encourage outside help to be brought in for other schools in this increasingly common state worldwide.