Education: Association: make the fight against teacher shortages a top priority

The Education and Training Association (VBE) has called on the heads of government of the federal states to make the fight against teacher shortages a top priority.

Education: Association: make the fight against teacher shortages a top priority

The Education and Training Association (VBE) has called on the heads of government of the federal states to make the fight against teacher shortages a top priority.

"The new school year will start shortly, and the challenges are huge due to the ongoing corona pandemic and the integration of refugee students from Ukraine," said VBE boss Udo Beckmann to the editorial network Germany (RND). At the same time, there is a lack of staff to cope with the normal everyday school life. The ministers of education are often left alone.

Beckmann demanded: "The prime ministers must finally make the fight against the shortage of teachers a top priority and declare it the number one task across departments - otherwise the learning conditions for children and young people will not improve." In the state budgets, considerably more money for schools and education would have to be planned for many years. Due to the permanent shortage, the burden on the existing teachers is increasing, which in turn makes the profession less attractive for young people.

In mid-March, the Conference of Ministers of Education presented its model calculations for the need for teachers for the years up to 2035. She assumes a gap of around 23,800 teachers. Shortly thereafter, the Education and Training Association presented its own calculations that assume a significantly larger gap. For the years up to 2035, 532,600 teachers are expected to be hired at schools, compared to 374,300 graduates expected in this period - a gap of 158,300.