GEW Warns of High Staff Turnover in Saxony's Schools

The Education and Science Union (GEW) refuses to accept the large-scale reassignment of teachers to other schools. GEW President Burkhard Naumann called on the Ministry of Education to put an end to this practice and to work together to find solutions. “The mistakes of the past must not be addressed solely at the expense of teachers,” Naumann urged. As an alternative, he proposed working-time accounts and incentives for older teachers to continue teaching. In addition, young teachers could be paid bonuses if they move to regions with teacher shortages.

A quarter of classes not taught by regular teachers

According to the GEW, approximately 3,000 teachers were seconded last school year. A quarter of the classes were taught by teachers outside their subject area or school type. “At elementary schools, the figure was 27 percent; at secondary schools, 29 percent; and at special education schools, 62 percent. There are also significant regional differences. Special education schools in the Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains region had the highest rate, with 87 percent of classes taught by teachers outside their subject area or school type,” the report stated. 

Ministry plans to continue teacher secondments

Minister of Education Conrad Clemens (CDU) made it clear during the presentation of the new school year, which begins on Monday, that the ministry would continue with teacher secondments due to the teacher shortage. He expects there to be more than 5,000 such assignments in the new school year. Secondments have also helped reduce class cancellations at high schools by 26 percent.

Union Cites Heavy Burden on Colleagues

“Secondments place an immense burden on the affected teachers. While they have to familiarize themselves with different curricula and teaching materials on their own, they leave new gaps at their home schools that must be filled,” Naumann emphasized. This results in a staff merry-go-round in which students experience constantly changing subject teachers and homeroom teachers. 

GEW Sees Quality of Education at Risk

From the union’s perspective, secondments make sense only on a limited scale and with pedagogical discretion. The current scale is lowering the quality of education in schools and leading to new staffing problems. “Experienced teachers are demotivated, are leaving the profession, or are rushing into retirement. For well-trained prospective teachers, the teaching profession in Saxony is becoming less and less attractive.”