Teachers at the limit

German problems: “We have to break taboos”

(Bild: krone.tv)

It is a fatal mistake to talk about individual cases of violence, says Viennese compulsory school teacher unionist Thomas Krebs in a live talk on krone.tv. "Every single case is one too many, something like this must not happen." Violence at school can be felt in different ways. Teachers don't just report physical or psychological violence. Attacks against teachers are also increasing in the digital space. 

Krebs reports WhatsApp groups from parents or pupils. "Reports on social media can be really hard on colleagues." Legal violence is also being used more and more frequently. "It used to be absolutely unthinkable that a colleague would suddenly receive a letter from a lawyer the next day after a meeting with parents."

"All instances are skipped"
It's not like it used to be that we said we'd work something out with the teacher and if that wasn't enough, we'd get the school management involved. "The parents skip all instances and a lawyer's letter arrives."

Fortunately, most of it would peter out, says Krebs. "But you can imagine what it's like for a teacher who is supposed to have a relationship of trust with a child. And the parents communicate via a law firm."

"You have to talk openly about problem areas"
Another problem area at schools is the lack of German language skills, which needs to be addressed as early as kindergarten. "The existing offer is obviously not enough, otherwise we wouldn't have this situation," says Krebs.

"I think it's very important that we break these taboos. We have to talk openly about the problem areas." Krebs is bothered by the fact that things are always being relativized and balanced out. "The phrase is always coined that it somehow works anyway. But that can't be the solution."