School commencement faces educator scarcity and reduced course options
In Brandenburg, a significant shift is underway in the education sector. The additional teaching hour per week for students will likely result in fewer teachers being needed per school, with the excess being deployed elsewhere.
This adjustment, however, has sparked concerns among some factions, particularly the CDU, who argue that the inverse trend of decreasing teachers and increasing students could lead to an increasing workload for educational staff and increase the risk of additional teaching absences.
The number of students in Brandenburg is expected to reach a record high of around 323,600 this year, which could further exacerbate these concerns.
The education budget in Brandenburg is experiencing a reduction of 345 full-time equivalent teacher positions for the current year. In response, Education Minister Steffen Freiberg has rejected the demand for working time recording for teachers, considering it a "game with fire."
Despite the budget cuts, the budget for substitutions has been increased by 14.5 million euros for this year, providing an additional 388 full-time equivalent positions in the first half of the 2025/26 school year.
The teacher association in Brandenburg, the Brandenburg Teachers' Association (Brandenburgischer Pädagogen-Verband, BPV), has criticised Minister Steffen Freiberg's measures as "know-it-all behavior" ("Klugscheißerei"). They have also labelled the relief measures as a "cheap trick" and warned of chaos.
The relief measures for teachers include fewer written evaluations, such as multiple-choice tests in grades 1 and 2, and the abolition of final exams at the end of grade 10 at gymnasiums. These changes aim to ease the workload of teachers.
Nearly half of the hired teachers in Brandenburg are career changers, the highest proportion in the past ten years. This could potentially bring fresh perspectives to the education sector.
The CDU faction in the Brandenburg state parliament, led by Kristy Augustin, has criticised the statements of the education minister as "whitewashing a looming education catastrophe." They believe that the additional teaching hours are only secured on paper and that the high level of absenteeism in recent years cannot be ignored.
As of September 1st, 341 teaching positions are advertised in Brandenburg. However, around 255 full-time teaching positions remain unfilled. This shortage could pose a challenge to the effective implementation of the additional teaching hour.
There are 11 more schools in Brandenburg for the new school year, making a total of 953. Despite the budget cuts, the education sector in Brandenburg continues to grow, presenting both opportunities and challenges.
