More Bureaucracy Than Freedom for Schools Due to Reform in German Language Support

German Language Support - Union Fears "Bureaucratic Monster"

For years, the teachers' union has demanded that schools be allowed to decide on the type of German language support themselves. On Wednesday, the government promised more autonomy to the locations: They should be able to choose between the mandatory separate support classes or groups since 2018/19 and school-autonomous support concepts. However, due to the planned instruments for quality assurance, the teachers' representation fears a "bureaucratic monster" instead of more freedom.

He supports the idea that schools should be able to implement their own support models again, emphasized the chief teachers' representative Paul Kimberger (FCG) in a conversation with the APA. However, he has a problem with the fact that in the school-autonomous variant, a "relatively extensive" concept with a description of the organizational and pedagogical implementation must be presented, and the implementation is to be checked by the school supervision based on a criteria catalog and additionally scientifically evaluated.

Kimberger advocates for trust

"I think that's completely inappropriate at a time when we are talking about relief, because there is a danger that a new bureaucratic monster will emerge," said Kimberger. He completely rejects the idea that schools should now "develop tons of paper" again. He is not against quality assurance, the unionist clarified. However, it must be designed "in a very modest scope."

Overall, Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr (NEOS) has not yet fulfilled his promise to relieve schools of administrative burdens. Instead, all newly planned measures in recent weeks and months, such as suspension support, perspective discussions, and the headscarf ban up to the eighth grade, would mean a "considerable bureaucratic additional burden" for teachers.

In terms of German language support, the ministry should give schools the freedom and trust to design it themselves, Kimberger appealed. "They can do it."

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.