More hours per week and the restriction of part-time work: This is how the Minister of Education wants to counter the shortage of teachers. However, many educators disagree.
Photo: Patty Varasano
Whistles and drums were heard on Saturday afternoon at the Lower Market in Würzburg. While a mixture of snow and rain dripped onto the demonstrators, they let their anger run free. Again and again the teachers chanted “It is enough” and held up symbolic red cards in the air: a message addressed to the Bavarian Ministry of Culture.
The protesting teachers are angry. In their hands they held signs with the inscription: “Because not everyone can calculate, the teachers must now take action” or “Politics is falling asleep, the teacher is running”. A young woman had made up a black eye. A sign around her neck said, “Lord, Piazolo, that was a slap in the face.” According to the trade union “Education and Science” (GEW) Lower Franconia 750 people came to the rally, significantly more than originally announced. The Würzburg police, however, spoke of 300 participants.
Criticism: package of measures is like a bad Christmas present
The reason for the protest were the announced measures with which Minister of Culture Michael Piazolo (free voters) wants to counter the shortage of teachers in elementary, middle and special schools. Because it is likely that 1,400 full-time positions at primary schools, middle schools and special schools will not be available in Bavaria from the next school year.
Photo: Patty Varasano
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In order to compensate for this, the minister wants to increase the weekly working hours for primary school teachers by one hour and limit part-time work. Furthermore, teachers should no longer be allowed to retire before they reach the age of 65. In his speech at the Würzburg market place, the chairman of the GEW district association Lower Franconia, Martin Heilig, compared the Piazolo package with a failed Christmas present. This is “poorly prepared, unacceptable in content and – too late”.
Teachers are demanding higher pay
He didn’t want to thank him for that. Instead, the unionist called for better working conditions and higher pay. A wish that garnered positive reactions from the audience.
Ursula Dorsch is also annoyed about the payment of the primary school educators. High school teachers are paid more because they are well-versed, the pensioner says. But why is specialist knowledge more important than pedagogical responsibility? Primary school teachers are particularly challenged here.
Fear for your own health
Representatives of the GEW Lower Franconia, the Lower Franconian Teachers’ Association (ULLV) and the Catholic Educational Community (KEG) Bavaria were not only on the stage. Anke Schneider from the Waldbüttelbrunn primary school was also one of the teachers concerned. For years, the Ministry of Culture claimed that there were more than enough teachers in Bavaria and that the situation was “under control”. “Instead of incense yourself, you should have taken action in good time,” said the teacher. Both the rising birth rate and the high number of retirement were not surprising.
Schneider reported on revised colleagues who only came to cure illnesses during the holidays. She described extreme demands in the classrooms, for example when children only mastered the German language rudimentarily, when students locked themselves in the loo or even classmates were threatened with a knife.
Teacher demo
to the photo view
In the end, many of them put down on postcards why the demonstrators rejected the Minister of Culture’s decrees. “Because the job as a primary school teacher is becoming even more unattractive. I’ve been at my limit for years and am worried about my health,” wrote a teacher on the card and threw it into the GEW mailbox. This post will soon reach Munich. Will Michael Piazolo react to this?
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Wurzburg
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Corbinian wild master
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Protesters
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Demonstrations
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Free voters
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Education and Science Union
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Unions
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Elementary school Waldbüttelbrunn
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primary school teacher
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Minister of Culture and Education
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Teachers
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police
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Educators and educationalists
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School principals
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Pupils
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part time jobs
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