Persisting Teacher Shortage Remains Unresolved in Trade Union Sector
Unionist Paul Kimberger has expressed his concern over the ongoing crisis in special education in Austria, calling it a "total political failure." The shortage of special education teachers, a problem known since 2009, has yet to be adequately addressed by the ministry, according to Kimberger.
Kimberger, a vocal critic, considers the shift towards specialization in teacher training a "catastrophic mistake." He advocates for a separate special education teacher training program, similar to the practice-oriented reform of primary school teacher training that is set to begin this fall.
The shortage of special education teachers has resulted in a shortage of thousands of positions, a situation that is improving due to more personnel coming from training institutions. However, Kimberger maintains that the teacher shortage is still far from over.
The black-red-pink coalition has pledged to increase the cap for special education positions starting in 2027, subject to budget constraints. This comes after Kimberger's criticism of the current cap as insufficient.
Another issue Kimberger has raised is the funding for additional teachers needed for children and youth with special educational needs. He criticizes that the funding is insufficient and inadequately allocated.
The development of the teacher shortage shows large regional and subject-specific differences, with the search for personnel most challenging in Vienna and Vorarlberg. The need for action regarding school directors is also urgent, due to few applications and an upcoming wave of retirements.
Kimberger is eagerly awaiting the implementation of Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr's promised reduction in bureaucracy. He believes the focus should be on getting more fully trained teachers into the system, rather than on bureaucratic red tape.
The application situation for teachers has improved this year, with 265 positions still vacant as of Friday afternoon. However, only half of the newly hired teachers last year had completed a teacher training program.
Despite these challenges, Kimberger remains hopeful. He calls for a similar approach for the training of secondary school teachers, which is set to be shortened by one year and redesigned starting this fall. Kimberger considers this a step in the right direction towards addressing the crisis in special education.
