Magdeburg (dpa/sa) – Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister of Education Eva Feußner (CDU) is using a variety of measures to combat the shortage of teachers. “There is no panacea for the current drop in lessons, there is not one solution on the horizon that promises spontaneous healing. On the contrary: we have to turn every stone, check every regulation from the past for meaningfulness and efficiency,” said Feußner on Wednesday in the state parliament. “And sometimes we may have to rethink school.” All federal states have problems finding teachers. In Saxony-Anhalt, around 93.5 percent of the lessons are currently covered.
Feußner said teachers need more support from pedagogical staff and school administration assistants, for example, so that they can concentrate on the lesson. “We have to encourage schools to try things out and experiment,” emphasized the minister, with a view to digital solutions and cooperation with business.
Side entrants are important for schools. The recruitment requirements should be revised further. You can imagine that master craftsmen or technicians without a university degree can also be hired. If a lateral entrant proves himself in front of the class over several years and completes further training, he can also be given the same status as an employee in the pay group. However, legal changes are still necessary for this.
In a small model project, a small number of secondary and community schools should be able to work with the money from vacant teaching positions. However, this is very time-consuming for the schools and their management. Feußner emphasized that she would like to support schools that are on the way to more autonomy. In addition, the possibilities of digitization must be used more.
