Shortage of teachers: This elementary school introduces a four-day week

teacher shortage
First primary school in Lower Saxony introduces the four-day week

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For months, there has been one topic in schools: a shortage of teachers! A primary school in Lower Saxony is now taking action. Lessons in the classroom are only four days a week.

Not all federal states are equally affected by the shortage of teachers. In the district of Ammerland in north-western Lower Saxony, the situation is now more than precarious. According to several media reports, the Wiefelstede primary school is now introducing the four-day week for more than 300 pupils. In a letter to parents, the headmistress Doris Tapken is said to have written that the provision of lessons looked very bad and that this was the only way to ensure that all classes were provided with equal rights.

First school in Lower Saxony introduces a four-day week

The reason for the acute shortage of teachers is short-term sick leave and the issuing of an employment ban for two pregnant teachers, who should continue to be protected against corona disease. Another colleague is absent in the long term.

Therefore, as of this Tuesday (February 14, 2023), a replacement plan is to come into effect. This stipulates that one of the age groups two to four must stay at home per day. The first year consists of a total of five classes and is spread over two days. However, since not all children can be cared for at home, the school offers childcare. It is not yet known how long this exceptional situation will apply.

Shortage of teachers: The federal states are running emergency plans

Lower Saxony is currently severely affected by the shortage of teachers. The provision of lessons fell to the lowest value since statistics began 20 years ago, according to Minister of Education Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) recently. But not only Lower Saxony is shaken due to a lack of teachers. Saxony-Anhalt is experimenting with the “4 plus 1” model – here too there are only regular classes on four days. What takes place on the fifth is not exactly defined. Saxony, on the other hand, is increasingly relying on Ukrainian teachers and Brandenburg hopes to increase the attractiveness of the profession by lowering the standards for civil servants.

Another idea was circulating last week: the chairman of the state parent council, Michael Guder, suggested in an interview with the “Nordwest-Zeitung” that new teachers should be searched for and found by headhunters. “And it’s about modern recruiting: young people no longer look in the school administration sheet to find job offers.”

Sources used: spiegel.de, ndr.de, zeit.de

This article originally appeared in ELTERN.

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