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Teacher in the classroom (symbol photo)
Photo: MASKOT / IMAGO
There is a shortage of teachers in almost all schools in Germany.
In order to alleviate the shortage of personnel, Saxony-Anhalt has decided on an unusual path.
With the help of headhunter agencies, the Ministry of Education had a model project there looking for teachers across Europe - apparently with success.
The Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reports that 75 new teachers have been brought to Saxony-Anhalt since the last school year, referring to the state education ministry.
A spokesman confirmed the numbers to SPIEGEL.
The applicants came from Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Spain, Poland, Finland, Romania and Switzerland, among others.
Around 700 potential candidates are said to have been approached by the headhunters.
Adequate knowledge of German had to be proven as a prerequisite for an application, which otherwise ran via the regular online platform.
10,000 euros per teacher for the headhunters
"In the current situation, we must leave no stone unturned to find well-trained teachers for our schools," Education Minister Eva Feußner (CDU) told the "Mitteldeutsche Zeitung".
The commissioned headhunter agencies would have received almost 750,000 euros for the placement, i.e. around 10,000 euros per head if the sum is apportioned to the teachers hired.
The Ministry of Education finds an investment that is worthwhile.
Criticism comes from the opposition.
Thomas Lippmann, education politician for the left in the state parliament, sees the success as having been bought at a high price, the newspaper reports.
He thought it would make more sense to put the money into measures to keep young graduate teachers in the country, said Lippmann.
The project is nevertheless continued, and the international search for personnel is repeated.
The ministry spokesman told SPIEGEL that the new tender is currently being launched.
One million euros per year is planned for this from 2023.
Saxony-Anhalt wants to go even further and not only search in Europe, but worldwide.
kfr/AFP
