Because whether there are enough teaching staff in every elementary school was not clear until almost the end. The 55 class leaders at elementary schools who were still missing at the beginning of the week were then filled with Friday at the last minute.
“That was a big challenge, we see in other federal states where it has not yet succeeded. Here everyone helped together, also with student teachers and educators together, so that the children also get the best learning conditions,” said Wiederkehr to “Vienna Today” on Monday.
Shipment note:
Vienna today, 7 p.m., ORF 2
Himmer: Search is a “year-round process”
Although 1,400 compulsory school teachers were hired over the summer, this does not make up for the ever-worsening teacher shortage. “Above all, it was successful because the educators who work in Vienna achieve a lot,” says Heinrich Himmer from the Vienna Director of Education. Many would work overtime.
“So it’s not like we mightn’t use one or two additional teachers. And we’re still looking and recording over the next few months. That means it’s a year-round process.”
Union complains regarding “makeshift plugging of holes”
However, the situation in the teachers’ union is not quite as rosy. In order to make teaching possible, a shift had to be made. Pedagogues Teachers sometimes only found out regarding new places of work from third parties on Friday. According to the union, it is not a solution, but a makeshift plugging of holes.
“A large part of the pedagogical work is also covered by teachers in an all-day school, for example. If I now move the people from the accompanying staff to the class leadership, then that means that the gap is there with the accompanying staff. For example, I’m sure that we can’t run this pedagogical offer that we’re used to in all-day schools at the moment,” criticizes Thomas Krebs from the teachers’ union GÖD.
Casts at the last second
Director Isabella Kriechmayr from the “Bunte Schule” elementary school only had a firm commitment from a class teacher for a first class on Tuesday, a third class is only taught on an interim basis. “In the education department in the human resources department, nobody might help either. There are no female teachers or they are not yet employed and if someone hasn’t applied directly for the school, then you won’t get a person,” says Kriechmayr, describing the situation.
The headmistress of the elementary school was lucky, a young teacher who was intended for accompanying lessons decided to take on a class on her own. However, she is now missing somewhere else.
8,600 teaching positions advertised throughout Austria
A total of 8,600 teaching positions were advertised at Austria’s schools this year – with a total of around 120,000 teachers in Austria. Just before the start of the school year, not all of them were occupied. It is particularly tight in middle schools, AHS and vocational middle and higher schools (BMHS) in subjects such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, sports for girls and music.
