A shortage of teachers and the absence of lessons have been part of everyday life at a number of schools in NRW for years. Solving the problems is a daunting task. The new school minister presents a package of measures. A bucket of water on a burning hut etches the SPD opposition.
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – More side entrants, everyday helpers, fewer class tests and more rigorous delegations should help to alleviate the shortage of teachers in North Rhine-Westphalia. School Minister Dorothee Feller (CDU) presented a comprehensive concept of measures to the specialist committee of the Düsseldorf state parliament on Wednesday. Not on her list: one extra hour per week for all teachers – at least for the time being.
Many questions remain unanswered for teachers’ associations and the opposition. Above all: To what extent and by when can the teacher gap be closed? “Effective, short-term measures that would relieve the system are still missing,” said Ayla Çelik, state chairwoman of the Education and Science Union. The minister also sees school policy facing one of “the greatest challenges”. Here is an overview of key measures and assessments.
Overtime: Feller dismissed speculation that teachers would have to work an hour overtime per week. “We don’t do that on purpose,” she said. “We have currently decided against going to the working time regulation.” Even if this would have been the simplest solution. Such an option only makes sense if you could assure those affected that there would be additional staff for their schools at the same time. However, this is currently “not so easy to implement” in many regions. The SPD deputy Frank Müller criticized that Feller was holding the wrong option “in his quiver”.
Lateral entry: The possibilities for employing lateral entrants are being expanded. This should apply to all primary schools that are particularly affected by the shortage of teachers. Specialists with the qualification to teach at grammar schools and comprehensive schools should also be given the opportunity to be permanently employed at a primary school. The school policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Andreas Pinkwart, supports the opening of the side entrance. However, the Education and Training Teachers’ Association insists on intensive qualification and job-related use.
Vocational colleges: In addition to the primary level, the other end of the education chain has also had massive recruitment problems for years. Therefore, the dual master’s degree at the vocational college for bachelor’s graduates from universities is being opened up and expanded to include several disciplines.
Up-and-coming teachers: Trainee teachers have already been able to voluntarily increase the proportion of their additional independent teaching from up to three to up to six hours a week. This measure should be time-limited. Feller emphasized that the extra work will be paid for as before.
Foreigners: It should be made easier for teachers from other countries to start teaching. To this end, language barriers that are already facing post-qualification should be lowered. For a permanent takeover, however, the standard required so far will remain.
Specialists: As of August 1, 2023, the positions for socio-pedagogical specialists in the school entry phase, multi-professional teams for inclusion in secondary school and for special schools will be increased by a total of 825. Such positions could already be filled for vacant teaching posts and “rebooked” in August, said Feller.
Everyday helpers: Everyday helpers can also be hired for a limited period of time in vacant teaching positions, who – similar to what is already the case in day-care centers – are to take on non-pedagogical, simple tasks – for example preparing classrooms.
Class tests: The central exams in class 10 (ZP-10) can in future replace class tests at all types of schools. To relieve teachers, the range of compulsory class tests in subjects with ZP-10 will be reduced from four to five to three to five at all school types, said Feller. From the point of view of the SPD education expert Jochen Ott, the number of class tests and exams as well as curriculum and timetables should be questioned much more fundamentally. “The cabin is on fire,” he said. Instead of taking the fire-fighting plane, the minister only comes with the bucket of water.
Secondments: Secondments of teachers to particularly stressed schools should be used more intensively. A temporary assignment at another school should also last longer than half a school year, said Feller. You think up to two years. In the case of new hires, this should be clear in all types of school in the future.
Operating radius: Teachers who return to school after a leave of absence or leave of more than eight months and do not wish to be employed at the previous school should in future be employed within a radius of up to 50 kilometers from their place of residence. So far, up to 35 kilometers have been “live practice” without this having been secured by a legal basis, explained Feller. This has presented the district governments with considerable difficulties in deploying teaching staff according to actual needs.
Part-time: In the case of part-time applications that are not related to family reasons, it should be specifically checked in future whether the shortage of teachers as an official reason prevents approval – at least to the extent applied for. The Association of Teachers NRW described this as a fatal signal. “You don’t win teachers if you make the teaching profession less attractive,” warned the chairman, Sven Christopher.
Recruitment: Around one million euros are planned for the coming year for an apprenticeship campaign.
Schedule: The requirements for the entire package should be in place by May 1, 2023. By then, decrees and ordinances would have to be adjusted, explained Feller.
Statistics: According to the latest data from the ministry, around 8,000 teaching positions are vacant in the state’s schools. Most teachers are still missing in elementary schools, where more than 3,400 positions are vacant.
