Teacher cuts: OPR parent council demands immediate clarification!

Teacher cuts: OPR parent council demands immediate clarification!

In Brandenburg it is widely announced that more money should flow into education, but the reality is different: 345 teaching positions will be cut in the new school year. Students and parents in the region are worried because staffing levels are already very thin in many schools. Steffen Keller, spokesman for the district parents' council in Ostprignitz-Ruppin, puts it clearly: "The situation is worrying." The information available on the cuts remains vague, as neither the Ministry of Education nor the State School Authority in Neuruppin have commented on the consequences of the hiring freezes.

This does not come without consequences: regular cancellation of classes, short-term substitution plans and an unstable everyday school life are the reality. Under these circumstances, learning does not become easier for students. Is it any wonder that the district parents' council sees the cuts as a contradiction to the goals of improving education in Brandenburg? The quality of education in the region is ultimately rather poor compared to the rest of the country.

Conditions become tense

With 345 job losses, the state government is paralyzing the already tense situation in schools. Schools with many socially disadvantaged students in particular remain unaffected by the cuts, which represents a small ray of hope for some. According to advisory board members, the staff shortage is unlikely to go away in the next few years, as the number of students in Brandenburg will increase - a total of around 3,000 additional students will be added.

The country's budget situation largely explains the drastic cuts: Anyone who wants to provide more money for digitalization, democracy education and other areas can no longer be so generous elsewhere. However, the schools are not only deprived of money, but also of the time for remedial lessons - this is where an additional problem arises. There are repeated reports about the loss of important support lessons for disadvantaged students, which further fuels the concerns of parents and teachers.

Criticism and future perspectives

While the state government plans to spend an additional 300 million euros annually on education according to the double budget for 2025 and 2026, countless teachers fear that these cuts will have a negative impact on teaching and student support. Despite the announcement that teachers will not be pushed beyond their limits, schools are experiencing pressure that could soon lead to an increase in the teaching load. From February 2026, teachers will be expected to teach an hour more per week - this not only raises doubts about the quality of teaching, but also about the motivation of teachers.

The problem as a whole will only become clear in the first weeks of September, when the effects of the cuts on the individual schools will be published. But the questions are already there: What happens next if the schools lack the necessary staff? How can teachers and students still work effectively in such a tense environment?

In summary, it is clear that concerns about the school future in Brandenburg are becoming increasingly louder. Requirements are increasing while resources are decreasing. A clear appeal to politicians - family-friendly and future-oriented education cannot be achieved solely through financial increases on the one hand and cuts on the other. A rethink is required.