Savings plans at Hamburg schools: Criticism of the planned increase in base frequencies
The planned increase in base frequencies from the 2027/28 school year is causing unrest among school management, parents and the opposition.
Quick Look
- The Hamburg school authority is planning to increase the base frequencies from 2027/28, which will lead to a reduction in job allocations for teachers.
- School management, parents' associations and the opposition sharply criticize the austerity measures.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The base frequencies determine the allocation of staff resources to schools. Increasing these values mathematically leads to fewer teachers per student.
There is unrest in Hamburg's secondary schools: The VLHGS, an association of high school management, is warning of "drastic" savings. The parents' association complains about "cuts at the expense of the children." And the opposition in the Hamburg citizenry fears “chaos”. They are all concerned with the planned “increase in base frequencies” from the coming school year 2027/28. The term may seem puzzling to many people outside of the school system. But the consequences will be noticeable, experts warn.
The basic frequencies regulate the allocation of personnel resources to the schools. If the frequencies increase, the means decrease. To put it bluntly, there will be fewer teachers per child in the future. Education Senator Ksenija Bekeris (SPD) decided this in order to fulfill her internal Senate savings requirements. The intention is to “reduce the number of positions assigned,” confirmed authority spokesman Peter Albrecht when asked by ZEIT. According to calculations by Yvonne Heimbüchel and Nadine Utz, who are involved in the general staff council of the state schools in Hamburg, an average four-class high school will lose 2.5 of its current 45 full-time positions.
Open Questions
- How exactly will teaching quality be affected by job cuts?
- Are there alternative savings options within the Senate?
