IT breakdown in Baden-Württemberg: Over 1,400 teaching positions unfilled for years!

IT breakdown in Baden-Württemberg: Over 1,400 teaching positions unfilled for years!

In Baden-Württemberg, a massive IT error is causing a stir in education policy. After decades of existence, it was discovered that 1,440 teaching positions had been incorrectly recorded as filled in recent years. This error goes back to 2005, when the education administration changed the program to personnel and job management. There could have been a huge misunderstanding during the data transfer, which caused both the number of positions incorrectly shown to be occupied and the associated costs of around 120 million euros, which were never actually paid, to go unnoticed. This meant that many teachers had to work overtime and take on substitutions for years. The unions are outraged by these abuses. As the chairman of the Education Association, Brand, explains, these not only have financial consequences, but also significant social consequences for teachers and students.

The Education and Science Union is calling for a comprehensive and transparent review of the events and an apology from the state government. The shock is deep, because what has come to light here is not just a glitch, but a massive omission that is shaking trust in the administration. The positions in question should now be filled quickly, especially in schools, in special education and counseling centers, and in areas affected by sickness representatives. A working group will also be set up to avoid such IT errors in the future, supported by the Ministry of Finance and the Court of Auditors, to ensure that controlling in the cultural administration is improved. However, the Ministry of Culture still lacked details about this.

A look beyond national borders shows that such IT breakdowns are more the rule than the exception. Federal Digital Minister Volker Wissing has warned in the past of an impending increase in IT breakdowns and cyberattacks. The reason for this is the rapidly increasing digitalization and the increasing use of artificial intelligence, which unfortunately also attract criminals. The recent disruptions at the security company Crowdstrike, which even affected international air traffic, illustrate how serious the impact of technical errors can be. Wissing underlines the urgent need for security concepts in Germany to sustainably protect critical infrastructure and predict breakdowns.

Overall, it is clear that the education system in Baden-Württemberg is facing a number of challenges that are both technical and human in nature. Fortunately, the error has now been recognized and it remains to be hoped that the upcoming measures in the cultural administration will lead to a quick and lasting improvement in the situation. While the administration learns lessons from the past, it remains to be seen how soon the teaching positions can actually be filled.

For more information on this topic report Deutschlandfunk that the vacant positions should now be filled quickly ZDF also points out that the financial impact has not flowed from the state budget since 2005 and this was not noticeable in the billion-dollar budget. Finally warns n-tv from a progressive increase in IT breakdowns, which will continue to represent a major risk in the future.