They stamp certificates, take calls and relieve the teaching staff of a lot of work by fighting the bureaucracy: the support staff at Upper Austria’s schools. 105 assistants have already been employed in a cooperation between the state of Upper Austria and the AMS.
“The bureaucratic and administrative effort has increased enormously in recent years. The pandemic also led to an aggravation,” says Deputy Governor and Education Officer Christine Haberlander (VP). “Any additional help at the schools leads to an important relief.”
It started small, at twelve school locations, but the number of schools where assistants work has risen sharply. Support staff is also on duty at the Harbach School in Linz, Elementary School 26. When asked about her helper, director Petra Ratschenberger says: “I’m really, really satisfied.” The bureaucratic support is something completely new. An administration department is common at AHS and private schools, but not at compulsory schools. “Now we have someone who gives us a hand and takes care of all the additional paper work,” says director Ratschenberger.
The assistant at Ratschenberger’s school is a trained office clerk, a returnee. People like her and those with relevant office and professional experience are placed in the schools by the AMS and the Education Directorate. “In this way we strengthen the self-esteem of people who were excluded from the labor market and can now contribute something again,” says Haberlander.
At elementary school 26, the finding phase was “a bit lengthy,” says Ratschenberger. It was difficult to find the right assistant from the large number of applicants. “But now we have her and hope that she can stay with us for a long time,” says the director.
Source: Nachrichten
