Although a dramatic shortage of teachers threatens teaching in Brandenburg, the state will “not carry out any “poaching campaigns in other federal states” to recruit teachers. “We remain so decent despite the emergency,” said Minister of Education Britta Ernst (SPD) on Friday in the state parliament in Potsdam. However, the demographic problem is so big “that not only do we have service restrictions with Deutsche Bahn and in restaurants, but the right to education in the larger regions of the country is actually endangered.”
Everyone should save to relieve schools far away from Berlin
As reported, the Ernst Ministry is already assuming for the next school year 2023/2024 that the necessary 1800 new teachers will not be found, a gap will remain. With this, Ernst has justified the “moderate” reduction of resources for existing additional offers such as remedial and all-day classes as well as inclusion at comprehensive, elementary and high schools nationwide. Namely, by reallocating 200 vacant teacher posts to school social workers and administrative assistants who are supposed to relieve the schools in the shortage regions.
But on Friday in the state parliament, the SPD and the Greens themselves criticized the plan on an open stage, against which schools, trade unions, professional associations and parents’ councils are up in arms. “Every pedagogical offer, whether above the framework curriculum, in all-day lessons, in support hours or in joint learning is indispensable,” explained the SPD education politician Poschmann. “This is especially true if the offer already exists and is already established at the school.” They will wait for the ongoing planning for the school year, look at the effects and then advise “whether the changed guidelines are really necessary.” The feedback from the country is taken very seriously.
The mood among the teachers, students and parents is heated.”
Petra Budke, leader of the Greens parliamentary group
The Kenya coalition of SPD, CDU and Greens ultimately rejected a request by the left opposition to “immediately withdraw” the rededication. However, Poschmann did not rule out that her group would still intervene. At this point, the application “isn’t needed yet,” she said.
“I have a hard time with the fact that one school could lose a position for inclusion in order to create a position for an assistant at another school,” said Green Party leader Petra Budke. There are undeniable communication problems: “The mood among the teachers, students and parents is heated.” This was also confirmed at a staff meeting in Cottbus this week with 500 teachers. The fact that neither Ernst nor a representative of the Ministry of Education showed up there caused additional displeasure. “You cannot make education policy solely with your statistics department,” explained left-wing politicians Katrin Dannenberg. “Parental trust is at an all-time low.
“The cake is a little tighter and is distributed a little more widely,” Ernst defended the approach. According to her, as in other federal states, alternatives would be an increase in the number of compulsory hours for teachers or larger classes, which one does not want. “Doing nothing and waiting to see how the teacher shortage develops uncontrolled would not be an alternative,” said Ernst. “You have to do something. Rejecting everything doesn’t work.” Support came from CDU education politician Gordon Hoffmann. “We must enable all schools to at least provide compulsory education.”
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