For a long time, the Berlin Senate resisted making teaching staff civil servants.
In the competition for skilled workers with other federal states, the capital now has no other choice, believe the SPD, the Greens and the Left.
Berlin - Because of the shortage of skilled workers in Berlin schools, the SPD, the Greens and the Left want to recruit civil servants.
The three parties agreed on this in their coalition negotiations.
"We have clearly spoken out in favor of making teachers into civil service," said SPD state chairwoman Franziska Giffey on Wednesday.
For the capital, it is an extreme location disadvantage if all federal states except Berlin have civil servants.
Such a step could not be the only one to address the shortage of teachers.
However, it must be prevented that 700 teachers continue to migrate to other countries every year.
Giffey spoke of an "important major project in this legislature".
Berlin abolished the teaching staff about two decades ago.
According to Giffey, the plan is now to start this practice again from the 2023/24 school year.
A corresponding offer should then be given to new teachers, but also to existing teachers, provided they have not yet exceeded the age limit of 45 years.
However, there are still a few unanswered questions in this connection, which the coalitionaries in spe, according to Giffey, will give the new Senate on its way.
It must therefore be clarified whether the age limit can be increased for a certain period of time and what a compensation for disadvantages could look like for teachers who cannot or do not want to be civil servants.
Another question is whether a pension fund needs to be set up.
Civil servants have high pension costs.
According to Giffey, the three parties, which have ruled together since 2016, assume that between 14,000 and 17,000 Berlin teachers are eligible for civil service.
Around 7000 could not be civil servants.
Green negotiator Bettina Jarasch mentioned other projects in the fight against the staff shortage in schools: "We have to see what we can do at the universities to provide needs-based training." To do this, the first step is to determine the need.
In addition, it must be examined why so many teacher training students drop out of their training at universities.
In the meantime, other federal states besides Berlin had also waived civil service for teachers - among other things with a view to high pension burdens.
In view of the shortage of skilled workers, all federal states except Berlin are now relying on the instrument again.
Teachers with civil service status have - in relation to their entire working life - higher earnings and retirement benefits than salaried teachers.
The coalition negotiations between the SPD, the Greens and the Left began on October 22nd and are slowly coming to an end.
On Wednesday the topics of internal security and modernization of the administration were on the agenda, on Thursday the budget and finances are to be dealt with.
Finally, on Friday, the top of the parties want to talk about open points and finalize the entire coalition agreement.
If that succeeds, it should be presented to the public on Saturday.
also read
Schools and daycare centers: union calls for training offensive
The Education and Science Union (GEW) in Berlin is calling for a "training offensive" for educational staff in order to counter the shortage of skilled workers.
The topic must be at the top of the agenda in the ongoing coalition negotiations between the SPD, the Greens and the Left, said GEW state chairman Tom Erdmann of the German press agency.
Schools and daycare centers: union calls for training offensive
The ministry does not commit itself to the requirement to wear a mask
While face masks are again mandatory in class in the neighboring state of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg continues to hold back despite the increasing number of corona cases.
"This week - as we have done so far - we will be monitoring the number of infections in schools very closely," said a spokesman for the State Ministry of Culture on Tuesday.
The ministry does not commit itself to the requirement to wear a mask
First row between the Union faction and the traffic light faction
The traffic light coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP has not yet been formed, so there is already trouble with the opposition.
At the top of the Union faction there is talk of the arrogance of power.
First row between the Union faction and the traffic light faction
After that, the party committees and, in the case of the left, the members still have to approve the government program.
Once that has happened, Giffey wants to be elected mayoress in the House of Representatives on December 21st.
dpa
