Stefan Düll, the headmaster in Neusäß, has been elected as the president of the influential German Teachers’ Association. In his new role, Düll will represent 170,000 teachers across Germany. He has identified four major challenges in the education system.
Düll, who has experience in local politics and association work, spoke about how he prepared for the public attention that comes with his new position. He mentioned that as a school principal, he was already accustomed to giving interviews and representing the previous chairman of the association. He believes that he represents not only the members of the association but also those who share similar views.
When asked about the three major challenges in the education system, Düll highlighted teacher recruitment as the first issue. He emphasized the need to address the shortage of teachers and suggested that it is not an unchangeable situation. The second challenge he mentioned is digitalization, acknowledging that while there may be debates about the use of artificial intelligence in schools, digitalization itself is inevitable. The third challenge he identified is integration, not only for students with a migration background but also for those who have incomplete proficiency in the German language. Düll stressed the importance of language skills for success and suggested focusing on improving German language proficiency before introducing other subjects like English in primary schools.
Regarding the introduction of mandatory language tests in Bavaria starting from the 2024/2025 school year, Düll suggested relying on the expertise of educators in kindergartens and later in primary schools. He believes that the personal assessment of professionals should be considered alongside the language tests. Additionally, Düll mentioned a fourth challenge that needs to be addressed, which is the construction and renovation of schools. He highlighted the need for more schools and larger classrooms, as well as the urgent need for the renovation of existing buildings. Düll argued that many schools do not meet the standards that the country represents, and this issue should not be overlooked, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked about the ongoing renovation of his own school, the Justus-von-Liebig-Gymnasium in Neusäß, Düll acknowledged that his school is being extensively renovatedStefan Düll, Schulleiter in Neusäß, ist jetzt Präsident des einflussreichen Deutschen Lehrerverbands. In einem Interview spricht er über die vier großen Baustellen im deutschen Bildungssystem.
Als Schulleiter, erfahrener Kommunalpolitiker und nun Präsident des Deutschen Lehrerverbands, spricht Stefan Düll nun für 170.000 Lehrkräfte in ganz Deutschland. In einem Interview erläutert er, wie er sich auf die öffentliche Aufmerksamkeit vorbereitet hat. Düll gibt an, dass er bereits als Schulleiter für Interviews zur Verfügung stand und den bisherigen Vorsitzenden des Lehrerverbands vertreten hat. Er fühlt sich als Vertreter der Lehrkräfte, auch für diejenigen, die keine Mitglieder im Verband sind, aber dennoch die gleichen Ansichten teilen.
Auf die Frage nach den drei großen Baustellen im Bildungssystem nennt Düll Lehrkräftegewinnung, Digitalisierung und Integration. Er betont, dass Lehrermangel nicht als unveränderlich hingenommen werden sollte und dass die Digitalisierung unausweichlich ist. Zudem spricht er die zunehmende Anzahl von Schülern an, die Deutsch als Bildungssprache unvollkommen beherrschen, und betont die Bedeutung der Sprache für den Erfolg. Als vierte Baustelle nennt Düll den Schulbau und die Schulsanierung. Viele Schulen seien zu klein und in einem schlechten Zustand, was nicht länger hinnehmbar sei.
Das Interview thematisiert auch die geplanten verpflichtenden Sprachtests in Bayern ab dem Schuljahr 2024/2025. Düll betont, dass die Tests nicht flächendeckend mit allen Kita-Kindern durchgeführt werden sollten, sondern dass die Expertise der Erzieherinnen und später der Lehrkräfte einbezogen werden sollteStefan Düll, the principal of a school in Neusäß, has been appointed as the president of the influential German Teachers’ Association. In his new role, Düll will represent 170,000 teachers across Germany. He has identified four major challenges within the education system.
Düll, who has experience in local politics and association work, spoke about how he prepared for the increased public attention that comes with his new position. As a school principal, he was already accustomed to giving interviews and representing the previous chairman of the association. He believes that even teachers who are not members of the association feel represented by their work, as he sees himself as someone who speaks for those who share the same views.
When asked about the three major challenges in the education system, Düll highlighted teacher recruitment as the first issue. He emphasized the need to address the shortage of teachers and stressed the importance of taking action rather than accepting the shortage as an unchangeable situation. The second challenge he mentioned was digitalization. While there may be debates about the use of artificial intelligence in schools, Düll believes that digitalization itself is inevitable. The third challenge he identified was integration, not only in terms of students with a migration background but also for students who do not have a strong command of the German language. Düll emphasized the importance of language skills for success and suggested focusing on improving German proficiency before introducing other subjects like English in primary schools.
Regarding the introduction of mandatory language tests in Bavaria starting from the 2024/2025 school year, Düll suggested relying on the expertise of educators in kindergartens and later in primary schools. He believes that these professionals can identify children who may require additional support and determine whether language tests are necessary. In addition to the tests, Düll emphasized the importance of considering the personal assessment of these professionals. He also mentioned a fourth challenge that needs to be addressed, which is school construction and renovation. Düll highlighted the need for more and larger schools, as well as the urgent need for the renovation of existing buildings. He believes that many schools do not meet the standards that the country should uphold, and this issue has been overshadowed by the focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked about the ongoing renovation of his own school, the Justus-von-Liebig-Gymnasium in Neusäß, Düll confirmed that significant investments are being made to completely renovate the building. He mentioned that the classrooms will be much larger, and the school will be transformed into a modern facility.
Overall, Düll’s appointment as the president of the German Teachers’ Association brings hope for addressing the challenges within the education system and improving the conditions for both teachers and students.
How can the integration of students with a migration background and incomplete German language proficiency be effectively addressed in the context of digitalization in primary schools?
Ll acknowledged that digitalization itself is inevitable and should be embraced. The third challenge he identified is integration, specifically for students with a migration background and those who have incomplete proficiency in the German language. Düll emphasized the importance of language skills for success and suggested focusing on improving German language proficiency before introducing other subjects like English in primary schools.
Regarding the introduction of mandatory language tests in Bavaria starting from the 2024/2025 school year, Düll suggested relying on the expertise of educators in kindergartens and later in primary schools. He believes that the personal assessment of professionals should complement the language tests. Additionally, Düll mentioned a fourth challenge that needs to be addressed, which is the construction and renovation of schools. He highlighted the need for more schools and larger classrooms, as well as the urgent need for the renovation of existing buildings. Düll argued that many schools do not meet the standards that the country represents and this issue should not be overlooked, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked about the ongoing renovation of his own school, the Justus-von-Liebig-Gymnasium in Neusäß, Düll acknowledged that his school is being extensively renovated. He expressed the importance of providing students with a modern and well-equipped learning environment.