Social issues

Selma’s emotional outbursts

The drama of the misunderstood child

by Marita Brune-Koch

(14 April 2022) Selma, 7, doesn't listen to what the teacher says, she has outbursts of anger and frustration, is stubborn and screams, throws pens and other writing utensils around the class room. Persuasion doesn’t work, neither from the teacher nor the parents. The teacher cannot reach her, the school psychologist is called in, diagnosing an early childhood autism disorder. The parents are advised that Selma be referred to a psychiatric institution for in-patient treatment.

“You can do it, Franz!”

About luck that is sometimes life-deciding, of finding a good teacher

by Ludwig Hasler*

(6 April 2022) What does it take for a country lad to study at the ETH Zurich, get a doctorate in biochemistry and successfully run a medical company? It takes good teachers, said Franz Käppeli.

The duty to be confident

The Ukraine war is entering children’s rooms and classrooms. What can schools do?

by Carl Bossard,* Stans, Switzerland

(28 March 2022) Images are powerful. Teachers are particularly aware of this when talking to their pupils these days. Children and young people are directly confronted with the Ukraine conflict via YouTube, Tiktok and other social networks. Often they are on their own. They bring what they have seen into the classrooms. “Is war also coming to us?” they ask and want to know: “why is there such fighting?” At home, they often get no answers to their questions. Teachers and educators are the only contact persons for some children.

Ivermectin – attempting an update

by Sabine Vuilleumier, M.D.

(10 February 2022) In April 2020, Australian scientists found that ivermectin, a drug on the “World Health Organisation” (WHO) essential medicines list, virtually halts the replication of Sars-CoV-2 coronaviruses in a test tube within 48 hours.¹ – In mainstream media, one hears nothing of the positive research results published since then in the prophylactic and therapeutic use of ivermectin in combination with other beneficial drugs for Covid-19.

Austria

Questions from the Constitutional Court on the Corona policy.

This article appears only in German. It has not been translated into English.

Pedagogics – on ousted observational learning

by Carl Bossard*

(7 February 2022) He was certainly a self-confident artist and knew he was skilled: the sculptor and master builder Erhart Küng (1420–1507). He came to Bern as a stonemason around 1455; soon he was responsible for the new construction of Bern Cathedral.