5.42 p.m.: Criticism from the BLLV vice at the teacher shortage and vaccination offer
After the Whitsun holidays, classes in Bavaria’s schools began in attendance where the incidence values allow. The Schweinfurt headmaster and Vice President of the Bavarian Teachers’ Association (BLLV) Tomi Neckov is dissatisfied with the current situation and looks to the future with concern. On the one hand, he criticizes health protection. “For a long time, we have demanded that teachers receive a vaccination offer before classroom teaching starts,” says Neckov. Now after the Whitsun holidays, some of his colleagues would have to be in class without any vaccination protection.
Another point of criticism from Neckov: The shortage of teachers, which is particularly to be complained about in elementary schools, middle schools and special schools and has been exacerbated by Corona. In addition, every school has to look for additional staff to take on the funding programs of the Ministry of Culture, such as the summer school during the holidays. On the one hand, Neckov thinks the bridging offer is good, “because support in school is what we want and especially now after the pandemic there are children who have been left behind”. On the other hand, according to Neckov, it will be difficult to cope with the personnel.
At the Frieden-Mittelschule in Schweinfurt, where Neckov is the headmaster, he is now looking for social workers, for example, and is trying to persuade his teachers to work overtime. “We’re just hanging in the air,” he says.
According to the Bavarian Minister of Education, Michael Piazolo (Free Voters), the schoolchildren in Bavaria have enough time to fill their knowledge gaps. In the Rundschau on BR television, Piazolo said that there are not only in voluntary summer lessons during the holidays, but also “in the next school year and the next but one means and opportunities” to make up for what has been missed.
The BLLV sees the solution in a five-year plan. According to Neckov, it calls for teacher training to be more flexible, “so that teachers can be used more universally and are no longer tied to one type of school”. For the next school year 2021/22, the BLLV vice expects that there will be many cuts in lessons due to the shortage of teachers. “We have no staff, especially in the areas of sport, art and music,” he says. Neckov hopes that by the time classes start after the summer holidays, all teachers will be vaccinated against Corona. He also hopes that vaccinations for schoolchildren will be promoted. “We just need more security,” he says.
–
