Berlin’s Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) Photo: picture alliance/dpa
From BZ/dpa
The Education and Science Union (GEW) criticizes the compensation payments announced by Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU) for Berlin teachers who do not want to become civil servants.
The teachers in question would be entitled to the so-called compensation for disadvantages from February 2023, not just from September, explained Sara Ziegler from the GEW state board on Tuesday. “We doubt that the senator can write such a far-reaching regulation to the schools. The February law is clear on that.” The collective agreement for teachers also does not provide for allowances to be applied for or even paid back.
On Monday, Günther-Wünsch had communicated the exact regulation in a letter to all headmasters. Accordingly, all employed teachers who are too old to be employed receive the compensation payment for the first time with their September salary. Depending on the salary group, it amounts to 250 to 300 euros gross per month and will be paid out retrospectively as of February 2023. The additional money then flows continuously every month.
Teachers who do not want to be civil servants and also want to receive compensation for disadvantages must submit a declaration from September 18th to 30th. If all the requirements are met, the money should flow in the course of the first half of 2024 retrospectively at the time the declaration was submitted. Should those affected later still be civil servants, they would have to pay back the money.
In the fight against the shortage of skilled workers, Berlin was the last federal state to reintroduce civil servants last school year. The way to get there has not only been opened up to newly trained teachers, but also to around 16,000 teachers who are already on the job. The age limit for civil servants was temporarily raised from 45 to 52 years. According to the education administration, around 9,500 so-called existing teachers have so far made use of this opportunity and applied for their appointment.