Peter Murphy

Murphy has been in the education sector for 27 years. He previously worked in a number of state schools in Britain before coming to Bonn in the mid-1990s, where he has been a member of the senior management at the school since it opened in 1997.

DW-WORLD: How is Germany doing in your opinion?

Peter Murphy: I believe that Germany is still in a relatively strong economic position. The challenges being faced by many countries of unemployment continue to cause pressures for the government -- a situation that does not seem to be likely to improve in the short term. I believe that there is a need for a critical review of how the economy can be stimulated. With a willingness to be flexible and more responsive to "external forces," I believe there is room for the types of change that would lead to an increase in social and economic stability. When recruiting internationally, I often hear of Germany being referred to as a "hardship assignment country" -- an image that I do not share, but see as a major challenge to be addressed by future governments. Globalization is not a concept that can be ignored in the hope that one day it will go away.

What needs to happen in Germany to help speed up the country's recovery?

I would hope that the elected government would use their wisdom to create a better, fairer, more sustainable society for us all to live in. I would hope to see tolerance and support for groups and individuals less fortunate than ourselves put more significantly on the agenda. I would like young and old alike to feel that the future had something to offer and that they had something to contribute -- a sense of worth. Societies are, in my opinion, successful when people feel that they have something to contribute. High levels of unemployment, uncertainties about the future, worries about coping in retirement do not lead to economic growth and development. The government has a challenge to make change attractive and the norm.

Gerhard Schröder or Angela Merkel? Who is your personal choice for chancellor? Why?

I would like to see a change, and believe that Angela Merkel would bring an interesting perspective to a still very male-dominated culture.

What do you like about Germany?

In the context of education policies, it's positive that there is a recognition that something needs to change.

What do you dislike about Germany?

The lack of critically challenging debate about what needs to change perhaps due to the difficulties in pushing through major social reform.