Teaching

Teachers in short supply

Many teachers fear that some positions could remain unfilled in the coming semester. (Bild: www.herrndorff.com)

The state of Vorarlberg is desperately looking for teachers and career changers for the coming semester, as once again not all vacancies have been filled. 

Vorarlberg is continuing its efforts to recruit additional teachers for the coming school year. In mid-May, there were 544 available full and part-time positions compared to 376 applicants. However, this does not mean that 170 teachers are still missing, emphasized Governor Markus Wallner and State Councillor for Education Barbara Schöbi-Fink (both ÖVP) on Tuesday. One person could fill several of the positions, some of which only last a few hours. "The situation is not as dramatic as it is often portrayed," Schöbi-Fink clarified.

However, more teachers are still needed. Classroom teachers for elementary school are particularly in demand, as there is currently a shortage of 20 teachers for the total of around 1080 primary school classes in Vorarlberg. The state has been trying for years to improve the staffing situation through various measures.

The situation at Vorarlberg's schools is not as dramatic as it is often portrayed. One person can fill several of the positions, some of which only last a few hours.

Landesrätin Barbara Schöbi-Fink (ÖVP)

According to Bernd Juen from the Directorate of Education, the number of applicants for compulsory education this year is 24 percent higher than last year. The main aim is to get more young people interested in studying to become regular teachers, also by offering taster placements at compulsory schools for upper secondary school pupils. At the same time, the focus is on lateral entrants and teachers from other countries. In the current and previous school year, a total of 142 lateral entrants were recruited.

This year's applicants included 21 people from abroad and 58 from other federal states. They will receive a monthly rent subsidy of 180 euros for two years as a benefit. Another incentive is a free climate ticket for all teachers who live more than two kilometers away from their school.