Oldenburger Fortbildungszentrum (OFZ) to become competence centre for in-service teacher training

Lower Saxony modernises advanced teacher training / Nine new competence centres established across the state

Oldenburg's Further Education Centre (Oldenburger Fortbildungszentrum - OFZ) is to become a competence centre for in-service teacher training. Its name will remain unchanged. With its close links to the Centre for Teacher Training (Zentrum für Lehrerbildung) – the Didactics Centre (Didaktisches Zentrum) - Lower Saxony's Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs regarded the OFZ as a new model for advanced in-service teacher training. In future, training courses will be on offer at nine competence centres spread across the state. The goal of the changes is to enhance the quality of advanced teacher training and bring it more closely in line with the latest scientific findings in this area of research.

"Teacher training has a long tradition at the University, and Oldenburg is regarded as a centre of excellence in this field," University President Prof. Dr. Babette Simon commented. "I am therefore delighted that the Oldenburger Fortbildungszentrum became a model for the state-wide reorientation in advanced teacher training."

The Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Bernd Althusmann, and the presidents of the universities that provide teacher training recently signed the agreements for the establishment of the competence centres. Dr. Jens Winkel, managing director of the Didactics Centre, stressed: "At the OFZ teachers profit from the expertise of university teaching staff who are focussed on the requirements of the profession. The OFZ will continue to work towards consolidating its pioneering role."