Teachers in Austrian schools worked a total of over 6.1 million paid overtime hours in 2021/22. This corresponds to a significant increase compared to previous years, in which just over five million overtime hours were worked, as Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) showed in response to a parliamentary question from NEOS. paid for it (previous year: 310 million euros).
Teachers in compulsory schools (mainly elementary, middle, vocational) thus worked almost 3.3 million hours of overtime, those in federal schools (mainly AHS, BMHS) around 2.8 million, which means that overtime in compulsory schools increased significantly (previous year: 2.5 million), while in the federal school sector they even decreased slightly (previous year: 2.9 million).
Short-term bankruptcies, deliveries
Overtime work includes both permanent and individual additional work (supplements). Subcontracting mostly occurs when another teacher is absent on short notice. Additional services are provided on a long-term basis, for example, if there are not enough subject teachers in the school. Not included in the figures are unpaid supplies that teachers have to provide to some extent under the Service Act.
Addressing the teacher shortage
On the one hand, the Ministry of Education justifies the sharp increase in overtime with the shortage of teachers. There were also additional support hours due to the corona pandemic.
For NEOS, the significant increase in compulsory schooling shows how dramatic the teacher shortage is. “We need to make sure that the dedicated teachers who keep the school system running don’t burn out, but are rewarded for their efforts. On the one hand, with more support, on the other hand, with opportunities for advancement, as they are in schools in the countries of English language already exist,” education spokeswoman Martina Künsberg Sarre told APA. Advertising campaigns would not be enough. There is also a need for a reduction in bureaucracy through real school autonomy, more investment in equal opportunities and better framework conditions in the world of school work. In addition, a side entry model will also be needed for elementary schools.
In 2021/22 the Länder complied with the placement plans for compulsory schools more precisely than in previous years. Overall, the approximately 63,800 positions were still exceeded by approximately 1,100 places. That’s less than in previous years, when there were up to 2,000 jobs. Overall, the overhaul resulted in costs of 74 million euros, of which the federal states borne about two-thirds themselves and the federal government borne one-third of the additional costs.
