Dresden. Every day there are more schools in Dresden that have to be partially or completely closed due to several corona cases. New ones will also be added on Tuesday. The Ministry of Culture has now issued a general decree for a total of more than 50 institutions.
Which schools are fully or partially closed?
- 89. Elementary school
- Gymnasium Tolkewitz
- 62nd High School “Friedrich Schiller”
- 106. Elementary school
- School “Am Leubnitzbach”
- 12. Elementary school
- Left Elbisch-Ost grammar school
- 92. Elementary School “An der Aue”
- 43. Elementary School “Thomas Müntzer”
- 84. Elementary School “In the Garden City”
- 102. “Johanna” primary school
- 26. Primary school “Am Markusplatz”
- 122. “Am Palitzschhof” primary school
- 70th elementary school “An der Südhöhe”
- 76th high school
- 96. “Am Froschtunnel” primary school
- 10. Elementary school
- 50th elementary school “Gertrud Caspari”
- 62nd elementary school “Friedrich Schiller”
- Albert Schweitzer School
- 128. High school “Carola von Wasa”
- 30. “Am Hechtpark” primary school
- “Dinglingerschule” support center
- 93. Elementary school
- Hans-Erlwein-Gymnasium
- 59th elementary school “Jürgen Reichen”
- 129. Elementary school
- Weixdorf primary school
- 16. “Josephine” primary school
- 47. Elementary school
- 14. “Am Rosengarten” primary school
- Pestalozzi High School
- 44th elementary school
- 108th Elementary School “Sunflower School”
- Weissig High School
- Vocational school center for service, design and social affairs
- 63. “Johann Gottlieb Naumann” primary school
- 75th elementary school
- School for the Promotion of Learning – Makarenko Promotion Center
- Elementary school Naußlitz
- 32nd high school
- 35th elementary school “Heinrich Graf von Bünau”
- 144. Elementary school
- Pieschen high school
- Vocational school center for health and social affairs “Karl August Lingner”
- 22. “Am Palitzschhof” primary school
- 120th primary school “Am Geberbach”
- Pieschen high school
- 39. Elementary school
- 71st primary school “Am Kaitzbach”
How long the closing times last or which classes are affected by the partial closings, announced the Ministry of Social Affairs on its website.
How big is the staff shortage in the schools?
Due to the increasing number of new infections, more and more teachers are in quarantine or are infected themselves. Even more lessons than already are canceled. Now the shortage of teachers, which has existed in Saxony for years, is also becoming a problem in Dresden.
There are dozens of vacant teaching positions in the city. “There are 19 full-time positions vacant at primary schools, 26 at secondary schools and ten at high schools,” says Clemens Arndt, spokesman for the State Office for Education (Lasub). The greatest is the lack of special needs schools, there are 38 vacancies.
When asked why the positions are not filled, Arndt says: “Some people argue in public that more teachers need to be recruited in order to cope better with the situation in the city of Dresden. The Lasub acts for the entire Free State of Saxony Rural regions must also be taken into account. ” A preference for individual rural districts or urban districts is therefore not justifiable for the State Office for Schools and Education. “All teachers who have applied have received an offer,” says Arndt.
What do the parents say?
The Saxony-wide lack of teachers, which up to now has threatened children’s education especially in rural regions, is becoming an increasing problem in Dresden. The latest example is the 15th elementary school, which had to send entire classes home in October because teachers were missing due to illness, quarantine and studies. “In our experience,” says Marco Bergmann from the Oberschulen working group of the District Parents’ Council, “it mainly affects the upper and special schools in Dresden, which are thinning out their lesson tables, teaching minor subjects for only one hour and important remedial teaching, which is urgent, especially in Corona times is needed, leave it out. ” Educational equity is no longer guaranteed in this way – it is precisely the types of school whose pupils would benefit massively from more support in their educational careers that have the greatest problems in maintaining the school supply.
The Free State has already reacted in recent years and provided some relief with recruitment offensives and the civil service option for younger teachers, according to the District Parents’ Council.
Current examples at Dresden schools would show that there are still numerous vacancies. However, while some schools would be in a very good position and could fully meet the support area, other institutions would have problems even in major subjects. “This is of course devastating for our children – teachers are caregivers, a constant change unsettles the children and does not exactly serve the goal called for this school year of closing the lockdown gaps of last winter”, says Cindy Behring-Wiesner from the working group for children with developmental peculiarities .
“Nevertheless, it would be fairest if well-staffed schools were to help out where teachers are temporarily lacking – then the shortage will be spread across all schools. Even civil servants can be expected to teach a few lessons at secondary schools and special needs schools over the winter.” , she says.
Behring-Wiesner sees the inclusion of children with disabilities in school, which already demands great effort from everyone involved in everyday school life, as being increasingly threatened – in the case of the ongoing lack of teachers, the first thing that Behring-Wiesner sees as being threatened is the inclusion support lessons, which the inclusion pupils are entitled to and which are available for the funds. “New concepts for the provision of personnel are required here.”
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