The Green faction wants to scare away the marmot that says hello every summer. Unions have been complaining for years that temporary teachers and young educators are being laid off over the summer. But changing that would cost a lot of money.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - Before the budget talks, the government of Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) came under massive pressure to invest significantly more money in education. The trigger is the demand by the Greens parliamentary group to change the long-standing practice that temporary teachers and trainee teachers are released into unemployment over the summer holidays. That would cost 15 million euros a year for the approximately 4,000 teachers affected. The teachers' unions and the opposition took the Greens at their word and spoke of a step that was long overdue. The CDU side cannot simply reject this either, because a party conference recently voted to end the regulation. However, the government is skeptical as to whether this is really a priority in the current crisis.
On Saturday, the heads of the coalition will meet in Stuttgart in the budget commission to discuss what the country can spend more on. Since the tax estimate was positive, significantly more money should be available. The exact figures for Baden-Württemberg were not yet known. Finance Minister Danyal Bayaz (Greens), however, wants to strengthen the buffer for risks in the energy and inflation crisis and put more money aside. He had only called on the parliamentary groups to exercise moderation on Wednesday.
The Green Group's proposal for temporary teachers is on the so-called autumn list for additional demands for the 2023/2024 double budget. The "Südwest Presse" reported about it first. Neither the Greens nor the CDU parliamentary group, but also the state and finance ministries wanted to comment officially on this. Over the years, various governments and education ministers had rejected the unions' demands as too expensive. In government circles it was said that this practice should be changed now in the crisis, which is difficult to understand.
From the point of view of the SPD parliamentary group, the coalition is reacting with the measure to the recent harsh criticism of the teachers' associations of the state's education policy. "Why does the state government only act on education policy when the hut is really on fire?" Asked Stefan Fulst-Blei for the SPD parliamentary group.
The Education and Science Union (GEW) recalled that the Greens started eleven years ago with a promise to "finally end this unworthy practice." If they keep their word now, they will stand in front of the state parliament on the first day of next year's summer vacation, said Farina Semler, Vice President of the GEW. "Then we won't demonstrate, but will bring champagne and invite the temporary teachers and members of the state parliament."
The state chairman of the Education and Training Association (VBE), Gerhard Brand, acted as if the measure had already been decided. "The VBE would like to thank the state government for taking this step and thus fulfilling one of our long-standing demands." Even the FDP is pleased with the step. "It was high time," said education expert Timm Kern. However, the country must do much more to combat the dramatic shortage of teachers.
Only the taxpayers' association put on the brakes. "Not everything that is desirable can also be financed," explained country manager Eike Möller. Although there is more tax revenue, this does not result in any new scope for spending. Because the federal government wants to reduce the so-called cold progression, which will lead to less income in the country. "The so-called autumn list belongs back in the drawer," demanded Möller.
