Head of philology: "Teachers are taking flight"
Fewer staff, more tasks, more stress: the situation at Lower Saxony's schools has become more tense for children and young people as well as for teachers. The crises from corona to war are reflected in everyday school life, Christoph Rabbow, Chairman of the Lower Saxony Philologists' Association, told the German Press Agency. What is needed, he said, is to relieve teachers of bureaucracy, provide more health education for pupils and make greater efforts to recruit prospective teachers.
"We already have a shortage of teachers," said the head of philology, who teaches mathematics and chemistry at a grammar school in Stade. "The system has come under increasing pressure over the past 30 years, and this is not Minister Hamburg's fault."
The so-called teaching supply in Lower Saxony was 96.3% at the beginning of September 2022 - this was the lowest value since the start of recording 20 years ago.
The Ministry of Education has still not communicated the current figure, criticized Rabbow. In view of the large number of additional tasks, many young teachers are already starting with a reduced number of hours. Mathematicians, computer scientists and natural scientists, among others, are looking for alternative jobs in the business world. "Teachers are taking flight. We are seeing this more and more."
The Lower Saxony Philologists' Association is a professional association for secondary school teachers and student teachers and has more than 8,000 members. Minister of Education Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) is also expected to attend the Philologists' Conference this Wednesday in Goslar. The motto of this year's association conference is: "Shaping healthy schools with relief and appreciation".
The current teacher shortage in Lower Saxony is a significant concern, with the teaching supply dropping to its lowest level in 20 years. This has led to many teachers considering alternative careers, as evidenced by the increasing number of educators leaving the field, a trend that the head of philology refers to as "teachers taking flight."
In light of this situation, providing more support for teachers, such as reducing bureaucratic tasks and increasing health education for students, could help retain talent in the teaching profession and improve schools' overall environment.
Source: www.dpa.com
