study
Many part-time teachers would potentially increase
In the current edition of the German School Barometer, teachers continue to complain about the high workload and the massive shortage of teachers. photo
© Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
What can be done about the teacher shortage? Experts recommend limiting the opportunities for part-time work, as only about every second teacher works full-time. A study shows other possibilities.
Accordingly, 38 percent of the teachers surveyed currently work part-time. Two thirds of them would generally be willing to increase their membership, and among those over 40 the figure is even 73 percent.
That is the highest hurdle
The highest hurdle: the so-called deputation model, which only covers lessons that have to be held. From the perspective of 73 percent of those surveyed, it would have to be converted into a working time model that would also include tasks and work outside of class, such as team time, further training and work with parents. Administrative tasks also cost a lot of time and are only taken into account across the board and not enough in the deputation model, according to the school barometer. However, these tasks remained even with a reduced deputation. “The only solution for teachers is to reduce their teaching load so that they stay within their working hours, including their overtime,” said Dagmar Wolf from the Robert Bosch Foundation. “The German deputation model is an outdated model.”
The care situation for their own children (26 percent) and the private care work in the family – for example shopping, cooking, cleaning, homework support and driving services – (40 percent) also prevent many respondents from increasing their part-time hours. The study supervisors say that the trend is likely to be increasing. They warn: “It can be assumed that these values will continue to worsen due to the worsening personnel situation in the early childhood sector and in geriatric care.”
Does part-time work have to be limited?
In January, the Standing Scientific Commission (SWK), an advisory body to the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, proposed limiting the opportunities for part-time work in view of the shortage of teachers. However, the Bosch Foundation advises against restricting part-time opportunities for teachers. “In our current school system, the teacher shortage is not solved by having part-time teachers work more,” said Wolf. “The school workplace must become more attractive again. This includes taking teachers’ concerns seriously and responding to their demands for reform.”
In total, more than 800,000 teachers teach at general education and vocational schools in Germany. In the foreseeable future, however, according to forecasts by scientists and the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, there will be significantly fewer trained teachers than are needed in view of the development in student numbers and the number of teachers leaving for retirement. Many thousands of positions are already unfilled.
This is the German School Barometer
With the German School Barometer, the Robert Bosch Foundation has been conducting regular representative surveys on the current situation in schools in Germany since 2019. For the current issue, a total of 1,032 teachers at general and vocational schools in Germany were surveyed by the opinion research institute forsa between June 13th and 23rd, 2023.