Government of Land required to provide a comprehensive education strategy in North Rhine-Westphalia
In North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), a significant challenge lies in combating teaching absences, with the remaining 4.7% of teaching hours being canceled without replacement. This issue is exacerbated by a teacher shortage, particularly in MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, and Technology) subjects, where approximately 9% of school leadership positions are vacant.
Schools in social hotspots in NRW are disproportionately affected by teaching cancellations due to a severe teacher shortage. The consequences of these absences and shortages have been scientifically proven in recent years, necessitating immediate action.
To address this issue, NRW is focusing on improved teacher education. The University of Cologne Teacher Education Hub, for instance, is a platform that fosters academic and science-based teacher training through collaboration among faculties, practical teacher training centers, and schools in the Cologne region. The aim is to improve teacher education, further training, and innovative projects that can help combat teacher shortages and reduce teaching absences.
The Teacher Education Hub promotes networking and cooperation to leverage resources in teacher education and provides support for prospective teachers as well as active teaching staff through further education and innovation, specifically addressing challenges like shortages in MINT subjects.
While no specific policy measures or incentives have been identified in the current search results, the emphasis on science-based interdisciplinary teacher education and practical cooperation suggests a strategic focus on improving the quality and quantity of trained teachers, particularly in critical shortage areas such as the MINT fields.
However, the issue of teacher retention is also a concern. More efforts are needed to retain teachers in their profession, and additional measures are required to attract more teachers. The deficit in MINT subjects is particularly increasing, with nearly every fifth teaching hour not being held as planned. Excessive substitute teaching and personnel shortages are burdening teachers, leading to overload and sick leave. As a result, around 7,100 teachers are currently missing in NRW schools, with only 78.3% of teaching hours being held according to schedule.
Sonja Bongers, the Chair of the SPD City Council Fraction and a Member of the North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament, is actively involved in addressing these issues. Further information about specific policy measures or interventions to alleviate teaching absences, such as substitute teacher programs or digital teaching aids, was not found in the current search results. However, the overall goal of these initiatives is to strengthen the teacher supply and competence, indirectly addressing absences by increasing the pool of qualified teachers.
Education-and-self-development initiatives, such as the University of Cologne Teacher Education Hub, are being emphasized in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to combat teaching absences and address the teacher shortage, particularly in MINT subjects. However, besides these efforts, politics also plays a crucial role in addressing theissue of teacher retention, with more incentives and measures needed to attract and retain teachers, particularly in critical shortage areas like MINT fields. General-news outlets should keep an eye on these developments to stay informed about potential policies or interventions aimed at alleviating teaching absences.
