- Commencement of the new academic year is marred by a scarcity of educators.
Amidst the ongoing persistent teacher deficit, the new academic year commences in Bavaria, catering to approximately 1.72 million students and around 160,000 educators and staff members. Cultural Minister Anna Stolz (Free Voters) acknowledged this issue in a cabinet meeting in Munich, stating, "We're dealing with a personnel shortage, this is our biggest challenge."
Generally speaking, the situation for this school year is manageable. However, it presents varying degrees of complexity. The most challenging circumstances are observed in primary, secondary, and special schools.
Elaborating on potential solutions, Minister Stolz announced her intentions for the near future: Reducing the pressure on schools, streamlining teaching programs, and enhancing pedagogical autonomy.
Regarding examinations, the minister suggested sensibly addressing the concerns common to all educational institutions: "We must find lasting solutions to the questions of what we're testing, how we're testing, and how frequently we're testing." Furthermore, she expressed interest in revisiting the concept of unannounced performance appraisals, which many students find particularly demanding, although she did not offer specifics on this topic.
The cabinet, led by Minister Stolz, discussed the teacher deficit in a meeting, recognizing it as a significant challenge. To address this issue, the cabinet plans to reduce pressure on schools, streamline teaching programs, and increase pedagogical autonomy.
