In Germany, the federal states themselves are responsible for education and civil protection. Recent crises such as the war in Ukraine or the floods in the Ahr Valley in June 2021 show that we need to build up our resilience in civil defence and disaster control.
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger (FDP) therefore expressed the opinion that young people in particular need to be better prepared for emergencies. There should not be a new school subject for this, but teaching content should still be taught that teaches pupils how to deal with potential dangers. There is opposition from Schleswig-Holstein’s Minister of the Interior (CDU), for example: “It doesn’t help to scare the population, especially children and young people”.
After reunification, sirens were systematically dismantled in Germany. This meant that not only a means of warning was lost, but also the ability of younger generations to interpret various warnings and act accordingly.
Source: Behörden Spiegel