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Under pressure: How school management reaches its limits!
School management in Bremen suffers from high pressure and stress, a current study shows. GEW urgently calls for more support and resources.
Under pressure: How school management reaches its limits!
Nowadays, school leaders are more challenged than ever. According to a comprehensive study carried out by bildungsklick.de, those responsible at schools are exposed to high pressure. Over 200 school management members took part in this study by the Education and Science Union (GEW) and the Freiburg Research Center for Ergonomics (FFAW) in order to make the challenges of their daily work visible.
One of the most shocking results is that more than half of school principals show up for work despite being sick. Their role includes not only managing the school, but also solving problems that arise spontaneously - for example when teachers fall ill. As a result, they are under immense time pressure and are often forced to put their health aside.
Psychological stress and risk of burnout
The study showed that school leaders face above-average work demands, which lead to frequent symptoms of burnout. This is also proven by the results of a school management survey published by GEW Hessen. Here, 84% of school administrators stated that they often work at a high pace all day long, while 76% hardly have the opportunity to keep their break times. The opportunity to relax and differentiate between professional and private life often falls by the wayside.
According to the GEW, school administrators rate their state of health worse than the average of other professional groups. Thilo Hartmann, chairman of the GEW Hessen, also points out the unfilled school management positions and urgently calls for regular stress studies and targeted prevention measures. There are also loud calls for the need for additional human resources and hours of relief for management staff.
The role of the GEW and demands on politics
In order to protect the health of school management and not endanger the school's development, according to the union, the employer must fulfill its responsibility for occupational health and safety. An increase in the time for management tasks for the new school year and the relief of administrative work through additional staff are just some of the measures required. The GEW also calls for comprehensive implementation of working time recording.
The burden on school management could also affect the quality of school education, warns the GEW. The situation is particularly tense in primary and secondary schools, as deputies such as IT administrators and administrative specialists are often missing. These structural deficits must be addressed in order not only to recognize the needs of school management, but also to actively improve them.
The current situation shows that school leaders are facing a real challenge. They try to complete their tasks with a high level of commitment and motivation - but the stress is enormous. The BR.de reports that the double burden of teaching and administrative tasks has a negative impact on the student body. Despite all the challenges, there remains hope that improvement can be achieved through appropriate measures in the education sector.
Overall, the analysis shows: A rethink is necessary in order to provide school management with the necessary support and to sustainably improve the framework conditions in the education system.