Lower Saxony
Because teachers are missing: primary school introduces a four-day week
Due to the shortage of teachers in the district of Ammerland, Lower Saxony, a primary school is introducing a four-day week
© Fabian Strauch / DPA
Because there is an acute shortage of teachers in the Ammerland district, the Wiefelstede primary school is introducing a four-day week for the students. One is “not able to provide all classes equally with lessons”.
Shortage of teachers in the Ammerland district: According to several media reports, the Wiefelstede primary school is now introducing a four-day week for more than 300 pupils. “Our teaching provision looks very bad, and we are not in a position to provide all classes with the same teaching,” headmistress Doris Tapken reportedly wrote in a letter to parents. The reason for the cancellation of classes is a ban on employment that was issued to two pregnant teachers. They are not allowed to teach because they could get infected with Corona. In addition, another teacher is absent in the long term.
State Parents’ Council: “desolate situation” in schools in Lower Saxony
Last Friday, the school management reportedly announced that a substitution plan would come into effect from this Tuesday. This provides that one of the years 2 to 4 must stay at home per day. Because there are five classes in the first year, these are spread over two days. There should be childcare at school for children who cannot be cared for at home. It was initially unclear how long the regulation should apply.
Recently, the State Parents’ Council of Lower Saxony spoke of a “desolate situation” in schools in the state and called for changes. The number of lessons at schools in Lower Saxony has fallen to its lowest level since statistics began 20 years ago, as Minister of Education Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) recently announced. The value determined from the ratio of students to teacher hours was 96.3 percent as of September 8, 2022 (previous year: 97.4 percent).