Germany has been discussing the teacher shortage for weeks. One group that is not necessarily the focus of attention is that of school principals. The mood among them is, to put it mildly, subdued. One in four thinks about leaving their own school. More than half of the school administrations find the pace of their work stressful, 40 percent of them work more than 50 hours a week. That comes from one representative study commissioned by the Wübben Foundation.
“I’m always running behind the day-to-day business,” says Sünke Rieke, head of a secondary school in Düsseldorf, at the presentation of the study on Wednesday. She had already sent the first email at six o’clock that morning and then went to the swimming pool for lessons. When she came back to school, ten people with urgent concerns were waiting for her.
According to the study, school administrations spend an average of one third of their working hours on administrative work. Lesson and curriculum-related assignments account for only 19 percent, and student time for just 13 percent. Many school principals learn the skills needed for their job on the side. The vast majority has not undergone any additional training at a university, and almost half have no formal qualifications for a managerial position.
The good news: Every second student really enjoys working at their school
As the study shows, even more headmasters are considering changing schools or even leaving the school system than before the corona pandemic. Compared to 2019, the share has increased by eight percentage points. Respondents cited insufficient support, inadequate pay and the desire for professional development as the most common reasons for wanting to change jobs.
Overall, the result is “a picture of light and shade,” says educational researcher Pierre Tulowitzki, who helped carry out the study. After all, 54 percent of those surveyed stated that they really like working at their school. A large majority is satisfied with the support from the college.
The school administrations, on the other hand, are significantly less satisfied with their relationship with the school supervisory board. A good third of those questioned stated that they felt abandoned by the authorities. According to educational researcher Tulowitzki, this is a “sign of a crisis of confidence”.