Georg Kerschensteiner

Georg Kerschensteiner was a German educator, school administrator, and theorist associated with the development of vocational education and the Arbeitsschule, or work-school, movement. Begriff der Arbeitsschule sets out his understanding of a school organized around purposeful activity, practical responsibility, and preparation for civic life. The work grew from a 1908 Zurich address on the school of the future and was later expanded through several editions. As Munich’s school superintendent, Kerschensteiner reorganized continuation schools and promoted workshops, self-directed activity, and links between education and working life. He had trained in mathematics and physics, taught in several schools, and later lectured at Munich’s university. His other major writings addressed civic education, school organization, character, teacher preparation, and educational theory. Begriff der Arbeitsschule is central because it moves beyond a slogan and explains the ethical and organizational purposes he assigned to practical work. The book helped carry his ideas into international debates about vocational and experiential learning.