Enlarge image
Aerial view of a schoolyard: "Politicians ignore the reality in schools and are burdening the school administrators with more and more tasks."
Photo: Hans Blossey / IMAGO
Demotivated and disillusioned: one in five school administrators under the age of 55 will no longer see themselves in their job in ten years.
As a representative Forsa survey published on Friday in Düsseldorf on behalf of the Association of Education and Upbringing (VBE) shows, 21 percent of school principals under 55 will probably no longer want to work.
At 46 percent, almost half of all respondents would “probably not” or “definitely not” recommend it to others.
56 percent of this age group, however, still see themselves as the headmaster of a school.
The majority has a positive attitude
Not even one in three school administrators agreed to the statement that they were “very happy” to do the job at the moment - in 2019, 58 percent, almost twice as many.
On the other hand, the value of those who “tend to or very reluctantly” to do their job has since increased sixfold, from four to 25 percent.
Compared to the survey in the corona crisis in November 2020, however, the proportion fell slightly.
At that time it was 27 percent.
Overall, however, the vast majority of school administrators (75 percent) still have a positive attitude towards the profession (“rather like” and “very much like”).
For the survey, 1,300 school principals were interviewed representatively from September to October.
Shortage of teachers, Corona, workload
The lack of teachers is still cited as the biggest school problem (46 percent).
Almost two thirds of those surveyed (63 percent) struggle with a teacher shortage in their schools.
In 2019 it was still halfway through.
Special schools are particularly affected.
For a third (33 percent) of school administrators, Corona and the protective measures are currently among the biggest problems, for 31 percent workload and lack of time.
With 80 percent, the majority of the school administrators agreed with the statement that politicians do not pay sufficient attention to everyday school life in their decisions.
In 2019, ten percent of the responsible ministers still felt supported - now it was only two percent of those surveyed.
Warning of internal termination
"Politicians ignore the reality in schools and are burdening the school administrators with more and more tasks," said VBE Federal Head Udo Beckmann. The survey that the association has been collecting since 2018 shows "a clear negative trend". Motivation is waning and disillusionment is increasing. "It would not be surprising if the internal resignation soon turned into deeds," explained Beckmann.
According to the survey, the digital equipment in schools is now improving.
93 percent of those surveyed said they had applied for money from the digital pact.
More than half (54 percent) answered the question about broadband internet and WLAN in the classrooms in the affirmative.
Class sets on tablets and smartphones for the students were also available for 71 percent of the school administrators.
In a survey from the summer, however, almost half of the teachers considered the IT equipment to be inadequate.
sun / dpa / AFP
