Interviews are still taking place on Monday, and every free minute is being used to recruit enough teaching staff. “Only then will we know how many classes we will really have. But one thing is certain: this school year, all lessons will be able to be held in accordance with the curriculum,” says Upper Austria’s Director of Education Alfred Klampfer. As of Thursday, 850 new teachers have been hired for the coming school year – 550 of them in compulsory education and 300 in general secondary schools (AHS) and vocational middle and higher schools (BMHS).
This year, there are also 56 career changers, compared to 113 last school year. “This is not to be underestimated. These teachers must first complete a certificate, and then the school decides whether to hire career changers,” says Klampfer. Education Minister Martin Polaschek (VP) adds: “Particularly because of their professional experience, career changers are a good addition to everyday school life. Everyone can benefit from this.”
SP education spokeswoman Doris Margreiter, however, sees the massive staffing gap as not being filled: “From September 2023 to May this year alone, Upper Austria’s teachers worked a whopping 668,544 overtime hours, according to a response to an inquiry, resulting in additional costs of almost 40 million euros.”
Lack of space and German courses
But the lack of teachers is not the only issue that concerns Upper Austria’s schools at the start of the school year. It is becoming increasingly difficult to provide sufficient space in schools, especially in urban areas, says education officer and deputy governor Christine Haberlander (VP). “In the first five months of this year, around 500 additional students came to Upper Austria. It is a logistical challenge that we are currently working on.” Linz in particular is affected by the lack of space in schools. To counteract this problem, a total of 463 million euros is being invested in construction, adaptation and renovation measures.
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Image: VOLKER WEIHBOLD
Source: Nachrichten
