Following protests and the threat of closures, the state of Styria has put together a package of measures for kindergartens and crèches. But among those affected, it continues to simmer – precisely because of the high premium for high school students who transfer straight to the job.
“The frustration is great!” This is how the director of a daycare center in Graz describes the current mood among her and many of her colleagues. A week ago, the government presented a first package of measures for primary education, which was plagued by staff shortages, “but the preconditions in the crèches do not change”. Unlike kindergartens, there are no plans to reduce the maximum class size.
Several administrators of kindergartens and nurseries therefore met on Wednesday to discuss the new package. According to their own statements, they represent about 160 employees. “Some measures are great,” praised Karin Farkas, one of the initiators, such as the planned reduction in group size in kindergartens, the expansion of staff waivers and staggered rates for childcare across Styria.
“Existing staff will be left empty-handed”
But the bonus for recent Bafep graduates or returnees who have not worked in a company for at least two years is a source of resentment: they receive a bonus of 15,000 euros if they commit for three years. Farkas: “The existing staff, on the other hand, don’t get anything, that has a demotivating effect.”
The bonus won’t do much anyway: It would only be for full-time jobs, but the majority of the many jobs still open are part-time jobs.
Restrictions on care not off the table
Closed groups and shortened opening hours, as the large sponsor organizations put forward in July in view of the staff shortage, are therefore not off the table, according to those involved. Workers would quit “one after the other”, says the director of the Graz daycare center, who wishes to remain anonymous. A closure was “barely” prevented at their facility.
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.
