Bavaria's teacher training: ensuring quality for the future of schools!

Bavaria's teacher training: ensuring quality for the future of schools!

The Center for Teacher Training and Subject Didactics (ZLF). University of Passau has taken over the management of the Bavarian teacher training network. In 2025, the ZLF will take on the role of spokesperson and coordinate the collaboration between all Bavarian teacher training centers. This network brings together all relevant institutions and schools of education at the ten teacher-training universities in Bavaria, which represents an important initiative for the further development of pedagogical training.

The main goal of the network is the qualified education of prospective teachers. In order to achieve this goal, regular meetings and an active exchange on current educational topics are of central importance. These meetings enable a continuous dialogue about developments in the school system as well as the active participation in shaping teacher training policy. The actors include the Bavarian State Ministry for Education and Culture and other relevant educational institutions.

Planned activities and innovation laboratories

The ZLF has already planned several significant events for 2025. In addition to a digital exchange in the summer, there will be a meeting in Munich in the fall. The year is rounded off with a meeting in Passau in December. Another aspect of the network work are the didactic innovation laboratories. These serve to develop digital teaching and learning materials and to test new forms of teaching, which are essential for contemporary teacher training.

As part of the network work, discussions with politics, administration and the education system are also planned. These interinstitutional discussions are intended to help secure and increase the quality of teacher training in Bavaria. Because, like that Bavarian Teachers' Association emphasizes, the training of teachers plays a crucial role in the future development of society and the education of future generations.

The challenge of the teacher shortage

The quality of education is the primary focus of the current discussion. Simone Fleischmann, Vice President of the dbb and President of the Bavarian Teachers' Association, spoke out clearly against weakening educational standards in a statement. The shortage of teachers cannot be solved through inferior educational offerings. Rather, it is crucial to ensure and increase the quality of teacher training in order to meet the needs of both general and vocational schools.

Fleischmann called for specific measures to improve the quality of training, including two-phase academic training and an appropriate length of preparatory service. The preparatory service should last at least 18 months, ideally 24 months, in order to adequately prepare future teachers for their tasks. The need to require German language skills at C-1 or C-2 level to ensure teaching quality was also highlighted.

Furthermore, Susanne Lin-Klitzing, chairwoman of the dbb School, Education and Science Commission, warned against the introduction of a dual teacher training course in the sense of a single phase. Such measures could have a negative impact on the quality of training. Instead, the introduction of a subsequent in-service qualification for teachers who initially only cover their teaching in one subject was called for.

Overall, it can be seen that the new network under the leadership of the ZLF not only offers the University of Passau a platform for exchange and collaboration, but also acts as an important instrument for actively addressing the challenges in teacher training. The work of the network has the potential to have lasting positive effects on the quality of teacher training in Bavaria and thus influence the entire educational landscape.