The Bavarian Teachers’ Association (BLLV) warns of a “blatant teacher shortage”. The situation is “dramatic”, especially at elementary, middle and special schools, said BLLV chairman Simone Fleischmann on Monday in Munich. In some places, less than fully trained teachers – lateral entrants from other professions as well as student teachers – already make up half of the staff, and in some cases are even entrusted with the management of the class. Of course, it is better for a person to stand in front of every class than none, according to Fleischmann. But “occupational therapists, opera singers and ethnologists are simply not trained teachers”. Especially in times of Corona, children and young people need more individual support from trained teachers, for example to make up for learning deficits from distance learning. As an association, they clearly distance themselves from the “narrative of the state government” that Bavaria is well positioned in education policy.
The shortage of teachers is almost a part of starting school like the school cones: The BLVV regularly complains about it, while the Ministry of Culture regularly goes too far with the term. But the pandemic and its consequences now seem to exacerbate the conflict again. According to the BLLV, rectors are annoyed by incomprehensible ministry letters and feel left alone with the organization of corona tests and hygiene concepts. From the association’s point of view, the class sizes are often too big due to the shortage of personnel to be able to cater to the needs of children and young people individually. Of the 8,400 secondary school classes across Bavaria, around 4,400 have more than 25 students.
However, the FSVO cannot say how great the shortage of teachers is in terms of numbers. Instead, they want more transparency from the Ministry of Culture. According to a prognosis from June, this currently sees demand primarily in the middle schools, while in the high schools there is even a potential oversupply of teachers.
The minister draws an initial positive balance
The BLLV received support from the Bayern SPD on Monday. The MP Margit Wild asked Minister of Education Michael Piazolo (FW) to put “all cards on the table”, which teachers taught to what extent and what the plan for the future looks like. Piazolo rejected the criticism. It is the job of associations to point out any problems; “But it would be desirable if the realities were also kept in mind”. Bavaria’s teachers are extremely well trained. There are now 100,000 state teachers working in schools, more than ever before.
Piazolo drew a “positive interim balance” about the start of the new school year. Even three weeks later, face-to-face teaching was stable throughout Bavaria, and the “safety net” made up of corona tests and hygiene concepts, among other things, was working.
The education policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, Matthias Fischbach, assessed the start of school as an “organizational total failure”. For example, 70 percent of primary and special schools would not have been able to take part in the introduction of the PCR pool tests planned for September 20. It is only thanks to committed school principals and teachers that the start of school “did not end completely in chaos”.