In the future, almost all future teachers should get the same starting salary, but that’s not all. In order to cushion the teacher shortage, fundamental changes have to be made.
It’s getting expensive, and the state government wants to afford it – or has to, in order to get the situation in the schools under control. Bavaria’s teachers should get almost the same starting salary in the future. Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) surprisingly announced A 13 for everyone after the CSU parliamentary group meeting in autumn. Prospective primary and secondary school teachers currently earn around 664 euros less than their colleagues at secondary schools and grammar schools.
Söder sees the same money as a lever against a shortage of teachers, lost hours and the nagging of parents before the state elections. Elementary, middle and special schools are particularly affected by the lack of staff. Something had to be done for middle school in particular, argued Söder, image cultivation. Minister of Education Michael Piazolo is about equal appreciation for everyone.
For a long time, the CSU had blocked the A 13 for everyone. The Free Voters and Piazolo were in favor, but could not prevail. Now Söder has made education a top priority and is heavily involved in Piazolo’s job. But the FW won a victory: Contrary to what Söder announced, the first higher salaries should be paid out in June 2023 and not only after the state elections. Ten million euros are planned in the 2023 budget. It should be 17 million per year. That won’t be enough: as soon as it was announced, the envy debate started between teachers from other types of schools and other groups of officials.
More needs to be done to solve the problem of a shortage of teachers: the job needs to be made more attractive, administrative staff need to be relieved. And Söder announced a major teacher education reform. More flexible training for flexible use of teachers, an expert commission without bans on thinking.