Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – As a consequence of the increasing problems of fourth graders in math and German, North Rhine-Westphalia’s school minister Dorothee Feller (CDU) wants to strengthen primary schools. The “Primary School Master Plan” launched by the FDP-led ministry at the time should be further advanced, Feller said on Wednesday in the state parliament’s budget debate. In the draft budget for 2023, 500 additional positions for elementary schools are planned, including for employees in the school entry phase, who are to support, for example, targeted language support measures.
In a five-year comparison, fourth-graders in NRW have clearly fallen behind in German and math, as shown by the current IQB education trend presented by the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK) in October. When it comes to reading, about one in five children does not meet the minimum standard, and one in three fourth graders has significant problems with spelling.
According to Feller, the draft budget of the black-green state government for 2023 provides for more than 5,000 additional jobs in the school sector. More than 3,300 places are intended for the schooling of refugee children and young people from Ukraine and other countries. There are already more than 38,000 children from Ukraine in initial school support.
“Jobs alone do not teach,” Feller admitted. “We have to get them occupied too.” The ministry has developed a package of measures to improve the provision of lessons. Feller wants to inform the state parliament’s school committee on December 14.
According to the ministry, around 8,000 teaching positions are currently vacant at schools in NRW. There is still a shortage of most teachers in primary schools. According to statistics, more than 3,430 teaching positions are vacant there.
