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Bettina Stark-Watzinger in the Bundestag in early December
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Michael Kappeler / dpa
Federal Education Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger is considering performance bonuses for particularly committed teachers.
"The many motivated and dedicated teachers in our country not only need more recognition, but also performance-based payment," said the FDP politician to the "Bild" newspaper.
"It must be more worthwhile to work for the opportunities and future of our children," says Stark-Watzinger.
Concrete measures would also make the profession more attractive for young people and career changers - and thus combat the shortage of teachers.
The President of the German Teachers' Association, Heinz-Peter Meidinger, supported the minister's proposals.
"You can tell which teacher is good," he told the same newspaper.
Most states already have laws that allow for perks for good teachers, Meidinger said.
However, these pots are not plentiful, and only very few countries use this option.
More funds are required: »The bonus should be able to cover ten percent of a salary.«
The report “Education at a Glance 2022” was published at the beginning of October.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) compared the education systems of 45 countries.
One of the central findings was: Germany suffers from an acute shortage of teachers - but pays top salaries in an international comparison.
The pay alone is not decisive for the attractiveness of the teaching profession, explained OECD Education Director Andreas Schleicher.
If you ask teachers why they chose their profession, most of them answer that they want to encourage children and help them advance.
There is often not enough room for that in the local system, said Schleicher.
You can read more about this – and the other findings of the report – here.
aar/dpa
