There are too few skilled workers in the kindergartens and the staff have taken to the streets several times to demand better conditions. In the APA interview, Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) was optimistic that the federal states responsible for kindergartens will agree on the common quality criteria that are often required. “There will certainly be certain quality standards for all areas.”
The federal states had already committed themselves to developing joint guidelines in the context of the 15a agreement, the minister emphasized. Under certain conditions, the federal government makes money available to the federal states for the free compulsory kindergarten year for five-year-olds, the expansion of the range and early language support.
Countries are supported through an EU programme
Through the EU’s “Instrument for Technical Support (TSI)” program, which has been running since early December, the federal states are now supported by experts from institutions such as UNICEF in sustainably improving the general conditions for nursery staff nationwide.
Currently, the specifications for group size, specialist child key, opening hours, closing days or staff qualifications are regulated separately in each state. As the aim of the TSI project, the minister has issued a model framework for the various government schemes, so that different needs can be taken into account: in cities, for example, the focus should be on smaller groups, while in rural areas the group size may be appropriate, but that is it does. There is a need to catch up with the entire daily supply.
Information and image campaign is being prepared
As a measure against the increasing shortage of personnel in kindergartens, an information and image campaign is being prepared – similar to the “Class Job” project against the teacher shortage. There are currently 1,800 fewer skilled workers than needed, and according to a study commissioned by the ministry, the shortage could reach 13,700 by 2030. According to Polaschek, intensive preparatory work is underway at the ministry based on the results of the research and the TSI project.
According to Polaschek, the realization that kindergartens are the first educational institution that needs more staff is at least now widespread. He explained various measures with which the countries want to ensure more attractive working conditions (announcement of smaller groups, etc.).
Bring more career changers into the profession
The Ministry of Education has recently created more training places at the universities of applied sciences, the minister emphasized. After all, according to the study, 84 percent of college graduates go on to work, compared to just 55 percent of those who graduated from the five-year BHS. In addition, new training courses have been created to get career changers into the profession.
Kindergartens should become a federal jurisdiction in the future
The new master’s degree in primary education at the University of Graz, where Polaschek himself was a rector, would also mark the start of his medium-term goal of moving primary education from schools to universities. In the first place, this requires more employees with a doctorate and a habilitation. But in times of a general labor shortage with a need for 2,500 new primary teachers per year, university education will long remain a supplement to vocational training (BHS), Polaschek emphasises.
For the minister, the option in the medium term remains that kindergartens will become a federal competence in the future and that each state will no longer set different preconditions. However, this would have to be negotiated with the federal states and would also require a two-thirds majority in parliament. “I think it would make things easier. But it’s not a priority for me,” he referred to the countries’ “intensive” joint work to improve framework conditions.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
