Everything at a glance

Major package to relieve the burden on teachers passed

The relief package for schools passed by the National Council on Wednesday was larger than had been foreseeable. In future, there will also be middle management at compulsory schools.

(Bild: contrastwerkstatt - stock.adobe.com)

Late, but nevertheless, a comprehensive package of measures to relieve the burden on teachers was also passed in the National Council on Wednesday. According to the ÖVP Minister of Education, Martin Polaschek, the package will include "in addition to numerous improvements for teachers in terms of employment law, the introduction of the new function of a pedagogical-administrative specialist in the compulsory school sector".

In future, school principals at compulsory schools are to be given an important pedagogical-administrative relief in everyday school life - similar to the previous situation at federal schools.

The new service law amendment finally brings the measures we have developed for more educational-administrative specialists in schools, a further strengthening of child protection and relief for schools and teachers.

Bildungsminister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP)

New administrator positions
Half an hour per week per class will be made available for administrative support for school management. In future, teachers who take on such tasks will be compensated for them as an additional service. Currently, there are no administrators at compulsory schools as standard; according to the Ministry of Education, teachers have taken on these tasks unpaid up to now.

SPÖ agreed with government parties
The SPÖ also agreed: "Our approach is to get more people interested in teaching and then to keep them in schools in the long term by providing good working conditions." However, the "hard-won changes" can only be a first step, they say.

Service law amendment for schools at a glance:

• Administrative relief through administrative support for all compulsory schools amounting to 0.5 hours per class

• Extension of opportunities for integrative vocational training (IBA) and quality assurance measures at vocational schools

• Creation of a lateral entry option for special needs education
• Creation of a lateral entry option for music at primary level
• Mandatory recognition of previous periods of service at the PH from an immediately preceding state employment relationship
• Improvement of the calculation key for the allocation of resources in small clusters (compulsory schools) and federal school clusters
• Possibility of remuneration for the organizational effort for German support classes
• Protective provisions for students in part-time master's degree programs
• Anchoring a declaration of security in employment law for all new entrants
• Waiver of the second induction week for LA students with a study progress of more than 120 ECTS
• Creation of a lateral entry option for religion
• Enabling academic/professional research tasks also for heads of institutes at the PH
• Leisure time supervision also for contract teachers at integrated practical schools
• Elimination of the previous deputization regulation for school management for more flexibility
• Equalization of service allowances for administrators and better inclusion for subject directors at schools for the human professions
• Automatic recognition of previous periods of service when changing employment relationships from state to federal or state to state

Change in employment law was on the brink
The issue of administrative relief had not been fixed until the last minute. Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) had repeatedly criticized the fact that the department of Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens), who is responsible for the civil service, was making no progress in this regard. The decision in the budget committee last Thursday was made without the item "pedagogical-administrative specialist". However, Kogler had already expressed optimism at the time that an agreement would still be reached.

Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) expects the change negotiated with the teachers' union to provide "noticeable relief at the school site".

(Bild: APA/EVA MANHART / APA / picturedesk.com)

"Noticeable relief at the school site"
Polaschek expects the changes negotiated with the teachers' union to provide "noticeable relief at school locations", as he emphasized in a statement. "We have fought long and hard for this."

The common goal was for teachers to be able to concentrate more on teaching and their work with pupils again, emphasized the head teacher representative Paul Kimberger (FCG). "The efforts of the last few months have therefore paid off," he was quoted as saying. Vice-Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) expected this to ease the burden on teachers and thus provide the best possible support for pupils.