By Michael Sauerbier
New school year, old problem: Because Brandenburg’s schools are missing 500 teachers, there is a risk of even more class failures than before. One hour of extra work per week would be the solution. But the teachers’ union refused.
Saxony-Anhalt has shown the way: In Brandenburg’s neighboring state, all teachers have to teach an extra hour to prevent failure. “One hour more per week brings as many as 800 new teachers,” confirms Potsdam’s Education Minister Steffen Freiberg (41, SPD). But he does not want to oblige the 21,600 teachers to do so.
A year before the state elections, Freiberg apparently does not want to mess with the powerful teachers’ union GEW. “With 27 hours per week at primary schools and 25 at the secondary schools, we are already way ahead in the comparison of countries,” says GEW boss Günther Fuchs (64, SPD), “teachers work 52 hours per week with preparation and follow-up work, further training, conferences and parents’ consultation hours. You can’t push that any further. Then the red line has been crossed.”
Brandenburg’s teachers’ union boss Günther Fuchs (64, SPD) rejects overtime Photo: Sven Meissner
Instead of additional work for everyone, the union proposes working time accounts over 3-15 years. GEW boss Fuchs: “Then teachers could now voluntarily teach more, and less when they are older.” The GEW has been negotiating with Freiberg since June, and the solution should be in place by mid-October. Fuchs: “From the second half of the year there can be voluntary overtime. With good participation, this can replace 500 to 600 missing teaching positions.“
In addition, bonus payments or part-time offers are intended to discourage older teachers from taking early retirement. At the age of 63, every second drummer is already retired. Fuchs: “The money is there because hundreds of teaching positions are vacant. In fact, 1100 teachers are missing. The minister calculates the shortage nicely.”
If the negotiations fail, Fuchs threatens: “Then our colleagues will take to the streets. The mood in the schools is bad.“ However, they are not allowed to go on strike: apart from career changers with temporary contracts, all teachers in Brandenburg are civil servants.