Saxony Teachers Reject Ministry's Measures Package Amid Workload Crisis
Saxony's teachers are pushing back against a new measures package proposed by the Ministry of Culture. The Greens, Left, and SPD factions, along with teacher unions GEW and SLV, demand its withdrawal. A recent study by the Prognos Institute reveals that teachers and school principals are working significantly more hours than planned.
The study, involving 3,772 teachers and 386 school principals, found that full-time teachers work an average of 8 hours per workday, falling short of the target by 0.6 percent. Meanwhile, part-time teachers accumulate nearly four overtime hours per week. School principals exceed their targets by about 2.5 hours. Only about one-third of teachers' working time is spent on actual teaching.
Culture Minister Conrad Clemens has proposed a voluntary work time account to address these issues. However, political parties, including the Greens, Left, and SPD, call for a thorough examination of the measures package. They argue that it does not adequately address the concerns of teachers and school administrators. While there is no specific information on which parties support increased support for part-time teachers and school administrators, general concerns about teacher shortages and school administration issues are widely discussed among political parties, including the CDU and SPD, in the context of broader educational reforms.
The study highlights the significant workload of Saxony's teachers and school principals. The proposed measures package has sparked controversy, with several political factions demanding its withdrawal. Culture Minister Conrad Clemens has introduced a voluntary work time account, but further examination and potential adjustments to the package are now under consideration.
