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Boy in the classroom: there is a lack of tutors
Photo: Sven Hoppe / DPA
A functioning all-day care is considered one of the keys to solving the shortage of skilled workers.
Because if work and family can be reconciled more easily, more mothers and fathers can take a job – so the theory goes.
In practice, the local authorities say that even looking after children fails due to a lack of staff.
The German Association of Towns and Municipalities sees a massive personnel problem for the municipalities and therefore expects cuts in services in the medium term.
Managing Director Gerd Landsberg does not believe that the legal right to all-day care in elementary schools can be implemented across the board.
"In the next ten years, 573,890 employees will leave the municipal public service," he told the "Bild" newspaper.
»That corresponds to about 30 percent of the staff.«
Even with advertising and bonus programs, this gap cannot be closed, "the problem cannot be solved."
There are not enough young people.
“We don’t solve the problem in the courtroom”
"Some regulations and benefits as well as legal claims must be suspended or, if necessary, revoked," said Landsberg.
Breaking taboos are therefore unavoidable.
»The legal entitlement to all-day care in elementary schools will not be implemented across the board.
The more than 100,000 educators required do not exist and they cannot be hired at short notice either.« Landsberg said the goal was correct, the municipalities would continue to push it, »but we are not solving the problem in the courtroom«.
Last year, the federal and state governments decided on a legal right to all-day care in primary schools, which is being gradually introduced.
From the 2026/2027 school year, the regulation will apply to children in the 1st grade, from 2029/2030 to all grades.
A study by the Bertelsmann Foundation revealed in the summer that more than 100,000 pedagogical specialists could be missing for the implementation by the end of the decade.
Because of the expected shortage of staff in the municipalities, Landsberg demanded that there must be more standard services instead of individual care.
In addition, the range of digital services in the authorities must increase.
The federal government wants to make it much easier for qualified workers to immigrate from abroad in order to counter the sometimes very severe shortage of skilled workers.
To this end, the cabinet will adopt a key issues paper this Wednesday.
However, the topic causes a dispute within the traffic light coalition.
The most controversial aspect of immigration is the planned reform of citizenship law.
mmq/dpa
