Demands and suggestions to make the job more attractive
Vienna (OTS) – In October, the funding initiative for elementary education Vienna was launched by Diakonie Bildung, Kinderfreunde Wien, Kinder in Wien (KIWI) and the St. Nikolaus Foundation to jointly represent concerns and positions in the field of elementary education. Now the four largest private kindergarten and after-school care providers in Vienna are presenting their first demands and suggestions for overcoming the greatest challenges in elementary education:
In order to counteract the shortage of skilled workers in kindergarten and after-school care center and to make the job more attractive, we demand:
- A fair and Austria-wide uniform, appropriate and thus higher pay and the abolition of unequal systems in individual federal states as a sign of appreciation for those who work in the first educational institution kindergarten and in after-school care. There is also a need for uniform pay schemes in the public and private sectors.
- Improvement of the structural framework – such as reducing the number of children per group and investing in the professional qualification of elementary pedagogues instead of the “elementary pedagogy crash course”, as recently decided in Styria.
- More time resources for indirect educational work in the kindergarten and after-school care center, such as planning and reflection and a constructively designed educational partnership with parents, schools and other educational and training partners.
- More time for meaningful interaction and situational work with the children.
- Due to the shortage of skilled workers and the increased demands on the profession of elementary pedagogical specialists, the further development of the existing training model is necessary – also against the background of the permeability for lateral and career changers. Thought must be given to establishing different training models that correspond to the professional requirements of educational professionals in practice.
- A training offensive that starts immediately in order to be able to ensure enough teachers for kindergarten and after-school care in the future.
- For example, the expansion and the associated financing of part-time training offers such as colleges at the existing BAfEPs in order to make existing career changer models also available to private providers.
- The long-term financing of an undergraduate (part-time) training at university level such as www.babeplus.at.
Keeping it open is an enormous effort
In times of the Covid-19 pandemic, the limits in elementary educational institutions with regard to the lack of framework conditions are even more evident. The general shortage of skilled workers becomes even more visible through additional quarantine regulations, longer periods of sick leave, employees who have to be released as a risk group. The employees in our kindergartens and after-school care centers are even more challenged than usual in the current pandemic situation. The kindergarten is an important place for children, especially in challenging situations or crises. The educators and assistants are important caregivers who professionally accompany and support children and their families right now. In kindergarten, children meet their friends – peers are important for every child to play and learn. The kindergarten and after-school care center offers security, stability and learning spaces for children – and always.
In order to be able to ensure the operation of kindergartens and after-school care centers, the public sector is therefore required to provide the necessary support resources at short notice (especially for educational substitute staff, cleaning staff to fulfill the additional hygiene measures, or people who support managers with the increased administration e.g. with contact tracing) and to start implementing measures against the shortage of skilled workers.
We want to actively shape the future of elementary education and advocate changes in the current framework. Together with our expertise and our practical know-how, we will be very happy to be at the disposal of politicians at state and federal level in the future.
Inquiries & contact:
Contact details of the members of the sponsoring initiative:
Our media spokespersons will be happy to answer any questions you may have:
Diakonia education
Karin Brandstötter
0664 827 34 83
Karin Brandstoetter@diakonie.at
www.bildung.diakonie.at
Child friends Vienna
Michaela Müller-Wenzel
0664 542 31 58
michaela.mueller-wenzel@wien.kinderfreunde.at
www.wien.kinderfreunde.at
Children in Vienna (KIWI)
Susanne Borth
0664 886 89 008
s.borth@kinderinwien.at
www.kinderinwien.at
St. Nicholas Foundation
Gabriele Zwick
0664 610 1398
g.zwick@nikolausstiftung.at
www.nikolausstiftung.at
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