Studying with hurdles

Graduate criticizes: “Teacher shortage no wonder”

The difficulty of the subject matter is the smaller problem

(Bild: thinkstockphotos.de)

Two graduates of the teacher training course in Linz are sharply critical of the course. In particular, commuting between universities and the complicated crediting system make life difficult for students and, according to them, contribute to the shortage of teachers. The Directorate of Education is aware of this problem - it is reassuring.

The "Krone" report on the criticism of the education system by a primary school principal provoked many reactions. For example, a young teacher who completed her teacher training in Linz left harsh criticism of the course online. A graduate, who has been teaching in a secondary school since 2023 and wishes to remain anonymous, confirmed almost all of the points of criticism to the "Krone".

No wonder
"You study at different universities. So not only do you often have to commute across Linz and even as far as Salzburg at your own expense, but you also have to have every single study achievement at your home university, the JKU, credited via a form," says the teacher. Many lecturers were "on the front line" themselves, but hadn't seen the inside of a classroom for a long time. Lectures are often based on unrealistic best-case scenarios. "We shouldn't be surprised about the drop-out rate and the lack of teachers," writes the graduate.

Fighting the teacher shortage
The Directorate of Education is also aware of the problem of the teacher shortage. "In view of the nationwide need for teachers, the federal government and the province of Upper Austria have taken far-reaching measures to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession and recruit new teachers," said the office of Education Director Alfred Klampfer. There are currently 74 vacancies at compulsory schools (out of 13,700). In secondary schools, there are five vacancies out of 6,100.