2023-08-05 19:10:55
In order to combat the shortage of teachers, the education and defense ministries now also want to recruit servicewomen and men who are career changers for the teaching profession. Militia soldiers, military musicians and army athletes are to be recruited in a targeted manner, as announced by Education Minister Martin Polaschek and Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (both ÖVP). At the same time, the topic of national defense will be given greater importance in the classroom from autumn.
According to Polaschek, who spoke of “exciting target groups”, potential career changers are to be encouraged to become teachers as part of the “Class Job” initiative in a wide-ranging information campaign in army posts, barracks and target group media. According to Defense Minister Tanner, in addition to the 32,000 militia soldiers, the around 360 annual military musicians and the 495 army athletes are specifically addressed. Their employment in the army is limited to 15 years, which is why they are to be informed as part of the campaign regarding the possibilities in the education system for the time following that.
New curricula include national defense
In addition to the personnel offensive, the cooperation between the education and defense ministries also affects the teaching content. From September, the new curricula for elementary schools, middle schools and AHS lower levels will come into force, in which the concept of comprehensive national defense will be anchored. “The topic was left out for a long time because there was no need to talk regarding these things,” said Polaschek. The geopolitical situation as a result of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine and other crises are preoccupying children and young people, which is why it is important to address these topics in the classroom, said the Minister of Education.
In close cooperation with the armed forces, the subject is dealt with in school textbooks and also in the training, further education and further training of teachers. According to Polaschek, the students should be made familiar with terms such as neutrality. In future, children will not only be familiarized with the tasks of the army in relevant subjects such as political education, but also, for example, in mathematical word problems.
To this end, two officers were included in the textbook commission. “That means our officers check the factual accuracy of the textbooks,” explained Tanner, speaking of a “very important step.” As in the military field, Tanner identified a great deal of catching up to do when it came to knowledge regarding comprehensive national defence. The defense minister was enthusiastic regarding the cooperation in the education sector between the education and defense ministries, which would benefit both departments and society as a whole.
In response to the increasing shortage of teachers in some regions and subjects, the Ministry of Education has been recruiting staff since last autumn under the title “Class Job”. According to the Ministry of Education, a total of 3,300 people have applied for a lateral entry at a school, 1,300 have already been certified and 600 have applied for a position at a school.
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