Around 600 career changers start their preparatory service for teaching in Bavaria when they start school. The lateral entry is going much better than many predicted, said Minister of Education Michael Piazolo (FW) at the request of the dpa in Munich. “The demand for highly qualified applicants is high.” According to the ministry, there are also around 3,400 women and men who, after successfully completing their teacher training course, are starting their two-year traineeship.
Lateral entrants have not studied to become a teacher, but must still have a relevant other university degree. If they are accepted, they can complete their legal clerkship and complete it with the second state examination. How necessary these additional forces are became clear in many schools, especially during the pandemic, when rows of teachers dropped out. And there is an attractiveness problem. “Recruitment is more difficult than it used to be, and we feel that too,” admitted Piazolo. Nevertheless, he is satisfied. “But what counts is that the teaching is right for the first day of school! We are right on schedule, most of the positions have already been filled.”
Overall, the situation is significantly better than last year at this time. According to the ministry, the need is particularly high in primary and secondary schools. The minister explained that 26,000 more students had to be taught here than in the previous year. Existing employees cover most of the personnel requirements, but there are also new hires and contract employees, most of whom are already under contract. The expiry of the last special Corona regulations also makes the planners’ work easier, as many teachers stayed away from the school during the pandemic, for example because they were pregnant or previously ill and should not get infected. Organizations such as the Bavarian Teachers’ Association (BLLV), on the other hand, criticize a dramatic shortage of teachers. They take a critical view of lateral entry, since the newcomers could not keep up with trained teachers, even with additional qualifications.