- Education Minister: Schools facing challenges
At the start of the new school year, Minister of Education Eva Feußner (CDU) sees schools in the state facing significant challenges. Schools are still dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic in some places, Feußner explained at a press conference marking the start of the school year. The shortage of teachers is one of the greatest challenges.
Around 214,300 students, including approximately 19,500 new first-graders, will begin the new school year on Monday. The total number of children and young people in schools has increased by around 1,400 compared to the previous school year, Feußner said. Meanwhile, the number of teachers has remained stable. Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Education expects adequate teaching coverage. Here are the details for the new school year:
Teaching Coverage
Across all school types, teaching coverage has slightly decreased compared to the previous year, currently estimated at 94 percent. While the basic need for teaching is generally met, the coalition of CDU, SPD, and FDP aims for a teaching coverage of 103 percent to account for absences due to illness or parental leave. Secondary and special schools remain a concern, where even the minimum required teaching may not be covered.
Teachers
The demand for teachers remains one of the greatest challenges for Saxony-Anhalt, according to the Ministry of Education. There are currently around 14,000 teachers in the state's public schools. The number of teachers leaving due to age can be balanced by new hires, the minister said. A significant portion of teachers are now lateral entrants, with their number having increased from 1,400 to over 2,200. Lateral entrants have become an indispensable part of the educational landscape, supporting the school system increasingly.
Students
The number of students in Saxony-Anhalt has increased by around 1,400. A challenge in this area is the significant increase in the proportion of children with a migration background in recent years, with the current foreigner quota at around 11 percent. Around 6,100 of the over 21,500 foreign children come from Ukraine alone. It is a major challenge to integrate these children quickly and sustainably, Feußner emphasized.
New School Law
In the long term, demographic developments in Saxony-Anhalt present new challenges. Therefore, the state's school law will be partially revised this school year. A draft has already been prepared by the ministry and submitted to the cabinet. The aim is not to cause panic that there will soon be no local schools, State Secretary Jürgen Böhm explained. Instead, it is about giving school authorities more flexibility in principle.
Within the school infrastructure administration, an additional 3,000 iPads are to be added to the statewide infrastructure by the end of September. Furthermore, all other 14,000 digital devices of the teaching staff are to be integrated into the statewide management system. The planned completion of this measure is the start of the winter holidays in the year 2025. In secondary schools, the subject of informatics is to be introduced in the long term. For a transitional period, informatics should be taught gradually in combination with technology.
Support for social challenges
With the start of the new school year, the new Startchancen program also begins in Saxony-Anhalt. Initially, 30 schools facing particular social challenges will be involved, later increasing to a total of 97 schools. In the end, more than 28,500 students will benefit. The aim is to improve educational opportunities, especially at primary and secondary schools, including reducing the number of students without a degree.
Despite the significant challenges faced by schools due to the aftermath of the pandemic and the shortage of teachers, Minister Feußner emphasizes the expectation of adequate teaching coverage this school year. The demand for teachers remains one of the greatest challenges, with around 14,000 teachers currently in Saxony-Anhalt's public schools, and the Ministry's focus on recruiting lateral entrants to support the education system.
