School Absences Decrease in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Says Minister Oldenburg
Government Announcement: Decrease in Number of Class Suspensions - Increased School Attendance Advocated by Government Body
Simone Oldenburg, the Education Minister in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, announced that the number of school hours missed in the 2023/24 academic year fell compared to the previous year. In schools under public administration, 3.3% of teaching hours could not be delivered, she revealed.
The comprehensive schools and regional schools had the highest rates of missed hours, with 6% and 4.8% respectively. On the other hand, gymnasiums, special needs schools, and primary schools reported rates of 3.8%, 1.6%, and 0.9% respectively.
Teacher sickness or their children's illness was the primary cause of this absence, according to Oldenburg. The minister also attributed the staff shortage in the educational sector to the increased number of hours covered due to illness among teachers’ children.
The proportion of covered teaching hours via other teachers or by combining classes dropped slightly, from the previous year, to 13.9%. At vocational schools, the coverage rate was 13.8%.
To compensate for the missed hours, teachers put in extra effort, working overtime. They were incentivized to do so because of increased pay, noted Oldenburg. Substitute teachers, such as retired and student teachers, also filled in the gaps. Part-time teachers and trainees also increased their hours of work. Combining classes and courses also contributed as a form of substitute teaching.
The boost in salary for teachers, the increased role of substitute teachers, and the combination of classes seem to have played a significant part in minimizing school hours missed. However, due to the sickness of teachers or their children, the rate of absenteeism remains considerable.
- Simone Oldenburg
- Teaching
- Minister of Education
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
- Illness
- Covering Hours
- Part-time Teachers
- Vocational Schools
- Absenteeism
- Children
- Substitute Teachers
- Simone Oldenburg, the Minister of Education in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, highlighted that the rate of absenteeism in schools remained considerable due to illness among teachers or their children.
- In vocational schools, the coverage rate for missed teaching hours was 13.8%, similar to the overall rate across schools.
- To address the increased number of hours covered due to illness among teachers’ children, Simone Oldenburg noted an increase in the role of substitute teachers, such as retired and student teachers, in the educational sector.
- Part-time teachers and trainees also increased their hours of work, with the boost in salary for teachers and the combination of classes also contributing as forms of substitute teaching in schools under public administration.
