Because the class teacher fails: Fourth grade in Gilching divided among others

Created: 01/15/2022, 02:02 p.m

By: Tobias Gmach

A classroom in Gilching remains empty because the students in a fourth grade were divided among others (symbolic photo).

© Julian Stratenschulte/ dpa

Because a class teacher is absent, there is now a fourth class less at the Arnoldus elementary school in Gilching.

The students were divided among the others.

The school authority is looking for “a stable solution” – but it is extremely uncertain when it will be available.

Gilching – There are always restrictions in elementary schools during the pandemic due to a lack of staff. For example, only the core subjects are taught in a class for a week. The current case at the Gilchinger Arnoldus elementary school, on the other hand, has a new dimension. Since Monday there has been a fourth class less. So far there were five - but because one class leader is absent for a longer period of time, the students were divided among the other four. Six more children are now in every fourth class (which is crucial for transferring to other types of schools). And 30 each.

The director of the school board, Karin Huber-Weinberger, informed the Starnberger Merkur on request.

Out of concern for data protection and privacy, she does not give the reason for the teacher's absence.

She only says that an operational ban on employment has been issued.

In this case, a teacher is not allowed to enter the school, but they can work in the background for their colleagues.

In general, it can be said that there are more and more company bans on schools during the pandemic.

As a rule, they affect pregnant women, whom the Ministry of Education wants to protect in particular from the corona virus.

For Huber-Weinberger, dividing up the class is “the only viable option”.

A so-called mobile reserve is not available, "the market is fished empty".

And alternating or distance classes are out of the question, because: "The majority of parents depend on school care." And there is also a lack of staff for emergency care, which would have to be provided for alternating classes.

Finding teachers has become difficult

Huber-Weinberger's basic idea: It's better to have six more students under the guidance of expert teachers than many substitutions for a whole class.

Apart from that, there wouldn't be.

After all, the feedback from the parents' council on the decision was positive.

But the head of the school authority is also aware: "The situation means an additional burden for the teachers."

A team model, students as assistants, the recognition of foreign qualifications in certain areas: According to Huber-Weinberger, primary and secondary schools now have “a colorful bouquet of options” available to compensate for the short-term shortage of teachers. If there is a lack of teachers, that is something else. "The management should teach at least 14 hours a week, otherwise the principle is misguided," she says. The personal relationship to a person who is also educational is important. Therefore, the school authority is now looking for a “stable solution. We don't do: five minutes like this, five minutes like this," says Huber-Weinberger.

If you talk to her for a longer time, you will hear sentences like: “We’re reaching our limits across the board.” Or: “If there are two more pregnant women, I don’t know how we can maintain the system in the long term.” And the school director reports on a special phenomenon in the region: "Many women work part-time, teaching only six, eight or ten hours because it is economically possible in their family."