Headmistress in Bremerhaven: Fight against overload and lack of space!

Headmistress in Bremerhaven: Fight against overload and lack of space!

Bremerhaven, Deutschland - Karina Becker, headmistress and committed composer, ensures a breath of fresh air in Bremerhaven on the Pestalozzi School, an unbound primary school that is constantly changing. At the age of 50, she looks back on more than 25 years of experience as a primary school teacher, 16 years in a leading position - a task that becomes more challenging. Becker not only teaches music, but also leads a school choir. Her enthusiasm for the children and the school community is unbroken, although she often struggles with a high workload. In this way, she emphasizes that she would not give up her job for anything in the world because the children are happy and in good hands at school.

A stricter everyday life of school management

The challenges for headmaster grow rapidly. Becker has determined an increase in work density since 2015, which was accompanied by immigration. The situation became even more precarious due to the Corona pandemic. According to Leuphana , school management in Germany and Lower Saxony are heavily overloaded. On average, they work about 55 hours a week, while administrative tasks can take up to 80% of their time. This development means that there is often little space to shape school visions and to initiate innovations.

In the office, Becker is often distracted by a flood of phone calls, emails and meetings. She only does many of her cable tasks after 4 p.m. when the students have left the school building. The question of where the support for school management remains is becoming more and more urgent. Everywhere there is a lack of school lines, which not only affects school quality, but can also burden the entire education system.

The space deficiency problem

Another big problem is the defective equipment of your school. Despite the additional means of the magistrate, the Pestalozzi school faces enormous challenges. The school was converted to a four -day primary school by a two -day, but this led to a lack of space. Four classes have currently been outsourced to the basement of the neighboring Lloyd high school. The former music room that Becker wants to use for the lessons can no longer serve for regular music lessons for reasons of capacity. The need to cultivate or demolish the dilapidated school infrastructure has long been in the room, but political decisions are long in coming.

In addition to all these requirements, Becker reports on the unequal payment of the school management. While their colleagues at high schools receive significantly higher remuneration, elementary school rectors must make do with the same references as the year. This inequality is also evident in the personnel equipment: there has been no deputy at the Pestalozzi School for years, which increases the challenges.

An appeal to society

Becker emphasizes how important it is to deal with teachers appreciative to prevent their emigration. In everyday life, school management is often exposed to high psychological stress that go beyond the initial job overcrowding - a state that is not only present in the Lower Saxony area, but also nationwide. According to a Tagesschau survey, many headmaster have to take home work, which can embrace professional life and have dangerous health consequences such as burnout.

The current situation is an urgency factor for the entire school community. Political measures are required to secure the quality of school education in the long term. In view of the legal claim that will soon be applicable, Becker is eagerly awaiting whether her situation will finally be heard. The scope for action for school management urgently needs to be expanded in order to be able to support both teachers and students in the best possible way.

The education system needs change, i.e. a lot is on the table - and this also includes an upgrading of the school management!