Education Minister sees progress in the search for teachers

Education - Education Minister sees progress in the search for teachers

In the fight against the teacher shortage in the country, Brandenburg's Education Minister Steffen Freiberg (SPD) is seeing initial successes. "We are going unprecedented and new ways to secure teaching," Freiberg said before hundreds of teachers at the school congress in Potsdam on Friday. A practical teacher training program in Senftenberg has been established in a short time. In addition, efforts are being made to inspire students for the teaching profession and make rural areas attractive to them with scholarships.

The personnel situation is currently the biggest challenge in schools, according to Freiberg. "You are the most important pillar of our school system." Classical training paths will not be enough to sustainably combat the problem. For this reason, we have been relying on lateral entrants for a long time. From the coming school year, teaching staff who postpone their retirement could expect additional remuneration, according to Freiberg. The ministry also intends to use such levers to strengthen personnel.

At the same time, Freiberg acknowledged the many instruction-distracting tasks that teachers face. "My colleagues in the schools are often exhausted," he said. They long to focus on the essentials. To this end, an agreement has been reached with the Education Union GEW.

According to the agreement, starting from the coming school year, for example, the number of required class assignments in primary and secondary school I can be reduced. A range will be given instead, according to a communication from the Education Ministry on Friday afternoon. In addition, further school assistant staff will be hired to support with administrative tasks. A model project of this kind was introduced at the beginning of 2024 and is now to be expanded.

1. The teacher shortage in Brandenburg is being addressed in Brandenburg's Senftenberg, where a new practical teacher training program has been established.
2. Steffen Freiberg, the Education Minister of Brandenburg from the SPD, praised the teacher's role at the SPD's school congress in Potsdam, highlighting their significance in the school system.
3. To combat the teacher shortage, lateral entrants have been relied upon in Brandenburg for an extended period, and from the upcoming school year, teachers who postpone retirement will receive additional compensation.
4. At the conferences, an agreement was reached between Freiberg and the Education Union GEW, reducing the number of required class assignments in primary and secondary schools and hiring more school assistant staff to help with administrative tasks.
5. In an effort to attract students to the teaching profession, Scholarships are being offered to encourage students to consider teaching, with a particular focus on making rural areas more appealing.

Read also:

• Tough return to normality in snow and ice
• Steinmeier joined a moment of silence - a legal battle over an AfD protest.
• German national soccer team on their way to participate in the European Championship qualifying matches.
• The flooding has lessened, but the aftermath of mud remains.