From the winter semester 2025/26, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences will be launching a Germany-wide innovation: the "Teaching Qualification for Secondary Schools with Special Needs Education" course. This will be offered in cooperation between Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and Leipzig University.
The cornerstones of the course were signed on May 24, 2024 by Minister of Science Sebastian Gemkow, Minister of Education Christian Piwarz, the Vice-Rector for Talent Development at Leipzig University, Prof. Dr. Roger Gläser, and our Rector, Prof. Dr. Alexander Kratzsch. The long and intensive preparation under the leadership of the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. phil. habil. Andrea G. Eckhardt, and Prof. Dr. Martin Goldfriedrich together with Prof. Dr. Jonas Flöter and Dr. Jürgen Ronthaler from the University of Leipzig have paid off, as the way is now clear for a very special degree course:
Prospective students can now also study the teaching profession for secondary schools as an undergraduate course at the HSZG and graduate with the First State Examination. The course takes place on site in Zittau and Görlitz and combines the regular secondary school teaching degree with the study of a special educational focus. This qualifies students to meet the challenges of inclusive school practice and to contribute their professional and pedagogical expertise in both secondary schools and special schools.
As part of the teacher training course, the Faculty of Social Sciences will teach the basics of educational sciences, which are essential in any teacher training course. In addition, the faculty will cover the course content in the field of special education and, in particular, the focus on learning as well as the subject science and subject didactics for the school subject German. Other school subjects, namely mathematics, biology and WTH/S (economics, technology, household and social studies), can be studied in the teacher training program at other faculties of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences.
The Faculty of Social Sciences is very much looking forward to welcoming the new students on the innovative and future-oriented teacher training course and is confident that it will make a significant contribution to qualifying the next generation of teachers, who will hopefully remain loyal to their region of study and counteract the local shortage of teachers at secondary schools and special schools.
