A Strong Foundation for Teacher Education
Today, the key provisions for the joint teacher training program in secondary school teaching with a focus on special education, offered by Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the University of Leipzig, were signed.
The Free State of Saxony is responding to the teacher shortage in Upper Lusatia with a new, innovative degree program. Specifically, a joint degree program titled “Teacher Training at Secondary Schools with Special Education” offered by the University of Leipzig and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is to be established at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences campuses by the 2025–26 winter semester.
At the event, Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow, Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs Christian Piwarz, the Vice Rector for Talent Development at the University of Leipzig, Prof. Dr. Roger Gläser, and the Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Alexander Kratzsch, signed a framework agreement outlining the structure and implementation of the planned joint degree program between the two institutions.
- Establishment of a degree program for secondary school teacher training at the Zittau/Görlitz campuses of the university. Classes / courses will be offered on-site, supplemented by digital offerings. All school-based studies and teaching practicums are to be completed in the East Saxony region whenever possible. This represents an important contribution to the regionalization of teacher education in Saxony.
- The program also combines—for the first time in Saxony—the study of two subjects for secondary school teacher training with an additional subject focusing on special education. This prepares prospective teachers in a unique way for the challenges of inclusive classroom practice.
- Initially, the program will offer the subjects of mathematics, biology, German, economics, technology, home economics/social studies, and the special education track in learning.
- The program lasts 10 semesters and comprises a total of 300 credits (LP).
- There are 60 spots available per year.
By the 2025–26 winter semester, all preparations for establishing the joint degree program will be completed, such as designing the curricula and meeting the necessary legal requirements. The Ministry of Science and the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs are in regular communication with both universities and are supporting the development of the new program.
Science Minister Sebastian Gemkow said after the signing:
"Teacher education in Saxony has developed very well in recent years, thanks in part to the intensive efforts of the universities that train teachers. The number of first-year students entering teacher training programs has risen overall, even though career opportunities for young people have never been as diverse as they are now. Nevertheless, we must take corrective action to ensure that, in the long term, there will once again be a sufficient number of new teachers available in all regions of Saxony and in all types of schools. Through the unique partnership between the University of Leipzig and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, we are bringing the undergraduate teacher education program to Eastern Saxony—and thus to one of the regions where the need for teachers in high schools and special education schools is particularly great."
Minister of Education Christian Piwarz added:
“We are becoming increasingly good at filling vacant teaching positions in elementary schools. This is more difficult in secondary and special education schools, especially in the eastern Saxony region. This is precisely where the joint initiative of the University of Leipzig and the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz comes in. The planned new degree program will integrate secondary school teacher training with a specialization in special education focused on learning disabilities. This will further extend teacher training into rural areas, and we are creating an attractive program of study in the field of secondary education with a focus on learning disabilities to attract more applications for the teaching profession in this region in the future. The program will become more attractive, more accessible, and more regionally focused.”
The president of Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Alexander Kratzsch, is visibly proud and grateful for the achievement of this major milestone:
With this groundbreaking educational model, we are making an important contribution to ensuring our children’s education. In addition, we are offering young people in Upper Lusatia an attractive training option that will significantly increase the likelihood that they will remain in rural areas and enable them to help shape the future of their home region right here on the ground. I am confident that our approach will have a broader regional impact and can serve as a successful example of new approaches to teacher education. I would like to extend my special thanks to our partners, the University of Leipzig, and the participating ministries for their support and cooperation on this forward-looking project.
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