School year commences amid teacher deficit and reduced course selections
In the state of Brandenburg, the education system is facing a series of changes and challenges, with the Minister of Education, Steffen Freiberg (SPD), acknowledging a tight budget situation that has consequences for the personnel budget.
The education policy spokeswoman of the CDU faction in the Brandenburg state parliament, Kristy Augustin, has criticized the Minister's statements as a "rosy painting of an impending educational disaster." The concerns are grounded in the decreasing number of full-time equivalent teacher positions in the Brandenburg budget for this year, which is seeing a reduction of 345.
To compensate for the staff shortages, the budget for substitutions has been increased by 14.5 million euros for this year. This increase will provide an additional 388 full-time equivalent positions in the first semester of 2025/26. However, the teaching hours are only secured on paper, and the increasing student numbers and potential absenteeism pose a risk of additional burden on pedagogical staff.
In an effort to alleviate this burden, teachers in Brandenburg will teach one more hour per week starting from the second semester, with relief in other areas. This change may result in fewer teaching staff being needed per school, and the so-called excess will be deployed elsewhere.
The changes are not limited to teaching hours. At gymnasiums in Brandenburg, the tenth-grade final exams will be abolished, and the ninth-grade final project will no longer be mandatory. Instead, multiple-choice evaluations will replace written reports for the first and second grades.
The changes also extend to extracurricular activities, with some school activities such as choirs or other school groups potentially being cut due to staff shortages. There will be cuts in the area of additional equipment, which could affect choirs, theater groups, or school newspapers at individual schools.
The teachers' union in Brandenburg has warned of chaos and described the relief measures as a "cheap trick." Despite the criticisms, nearly half of the newly hired teaching staff in Brandenburg are career changers, which is the highest percentage in the past ten years.
As of September 1st, 341 teaching positions are advertised in Brandenburg. By August 18th, 1,533 teaching staff were hired permanently and 1,142 temporarily in Brandenburg. However, around 255 full-time teaching positions remain unfilled in Brandenburg as of the new school year.
The number of students in Brandenburg is predicted to reach a record high of 323,600 this year, around 2,600 more than last year. This increase has led to the opening of 11 more schools, making a total of 953.
With the new school year underway, the education system in Brandenburg faces a complex landscape of changes and challenges. The debate continues on how best to navigate these difficulties while ensuring the quality of education for Brandenburg's students.
