Besides the teaching staff, the following management functions can be found in regular and special schools:

Selection positions:

• Deputy principal or Provisor of a regular secondary school;
• Head of department of a special secondary school;
• Middle manager of a regular secondary school;
• Workshop manager in a technical-vocational regular or special secondary school;
• Coordinator of a centre for part-time education;
• Coordinator of a time out facility;
• Paramedical coordinator for inclusive schools

Promotion positions:

• Head teacher or principal of an autonome Regel- or Fördergrundschule;
• Principal or study prefect of a regular secondary school;
• Principal of a special secondary school.

Admission requirements

Selection positions

Admission requirements

A person may hold one of the selection positions listed here if they:

1. comply with nationality requirements;
2. meet the diploma requirements for the position, i.e.

• for the position of Provisor or Deputy Principal: possess at least a first-level higher education diploma;
• for the position of Head of Department: possess at least a first-level higher education diploma;
• for the position of Middle Manager: possess at least a first-level higher education diploma or a master craftsman’s certificate, meet the employment conditions for a teaching post and have at least three years of relevant professional experience;
• for the position of Workshop Manager: the person must already be working as a teacher for technical courses, a teacher for vocational practice, or a teacher for technical courses and vocational practice in education, meet the employment conditions for this position and have at least 720 days of service in this role;
• for the position of Coordinator of a Centre for Part-Time Education or a Time Out facility as well as for the position of Paramedical Coordinator for inclusive schools: possess at least a first-level higher education diploma;

3. have submitted their application correctly and within the deadline;
4. possess civil and political rights;
5. comply with militia laws;
6. have a thorough command of the German and French languages.

In the community education system, the exercise of the office of a teacher of religion is incompatible with the exercise of the office of Middle Manager.

Application and selection procedure

The positions of Middle Manager are primarily filled with internal school staff. A public call for applications is only issued if no internal candidate can be found.

For all other positions, a public call for applications is issued. The call for applications is published by the school organising body in the press, by notice in the schools, and in any other appropriate form. It includes the required profile and the objectives to be achieved during the term of office.

Applications must be submitted by registered mail. The applicant must enclose, among other things, a strategy and action plan aimed at achieving the objectives outlined in the call for applications. If the position in question is that of Workshop Manager or Middle Manager, no strategy and action plan is required; instead, a letter of motivation must be enclosed.

The school organising body ultimately decides which of the applicants shall be appointed to the position. In making its decision, it takes into account, among other things, the applicant’s strategy and action plan or letter of motivation, one or more interviews, as well as the applicant’s professional experience and teaching qualifications or, in the case of the Paramedical Coordinator, the paramedical qualifications. In the case of Workshop Managers, the existing technical expertise is also taken into account.

Duration of appointment, termination and nomination 

The appointment of Deputy Principals, Provisors, Heads of Department and Coordinators is made for an indefinite period, provided that the position is to be filled for at least one school year and the applicant meets all admission requirements. Otherwise, the appointment is made for a maximum of one school year, with the possibility of extension..

Middle Managers and Workshop Managers, on the other hand, are appointed for the duration of one school year. If, at the end of the school year, an evaluation report by the principal is submitted with at least the rating “good”, the appointment is extended by another school year. If, after the second appointment, another evaluation report by the principal is submitted with at least the rating “good”, the third appointment is made for an indefinite period.

The appointment ends in the following cases:

1. in the event of a precautionary temporary suspension from duty lasting more than six months;
2. in the event of being placed at the disposal due to the withdrawal of the post in the interest of the service for more than six months;
3. in the event of the imposition of the following disciplinary sanctions:

• a salary reduction, 
• a temporary suspension from duty for disciplinary reasons, 
• a transfer to non-active status for disciplinary reasons, 
• dismissal due to serious misconduct;

4. in the event of voluntary resignation from the service, if the person is a permanently appointed staff member;
5. in the event of voluntary termination of the appointment;
6. in the event of unilateral termination by the school organising body;
7. if the staff member's evaluation report ends with the remark "unsatisfactory" and they already received an evaluation report marked "poor" or "unsatisfactory" in the previous school year;
8. if a staff member appointed for an indefinite period has not exercised the position for five consecutive school years due to full-time leave. If the activity is not resumed for at least one full school year between two periods of leave, the duration of this leave is added to the duration of the previous leave;
9. upon the return of the position holder or the staff member who was temporarily replaced.

Service law

The deputy principal, the Provisor, the head of department, the middle manager, the workshop manager and the coordinators are largely subject to the provisions of service law during the exercise of their office, which also applies to teaching staff. However, they are prohibited from taking advantage of certain types of leave, in particular part-time leave.

Temporary replacement

If the appointment ends, the staff member leaves the post or is absent full-time due to an approved form of leave, the school organising body may replace them until the end of the following school year without carrying out an application and selection procedure, with another person who meets the admission requirements for the respective selection post. 

Salary and bonuses

Deputy principals or Provisors, heads of department and workshop managers are entitled to a specific salary scale. Their remuneration is determined differently from recruitment posts, independently of the diploma. The salary is linked to fluctuations in the consumer price index. Additionally, they receive a monthly bonus of €250 gross (heads of department, workshop managers employed part-time) or €400 gross (deputy principals, workshop managers employed full-time). This amount is indexed.

If a staff member who is appointed for an indefinite period or permanently appointed in another post is appointed as deputy principal, Provisor, head of department or workshop manager, they continue to receive a salary based on their previous salary scale until their appointment to the selection post and receive a compensatory monthly bonus equivalent to the difference between the salary of the Provisor, deputy principal, head of department or workshop manager and the staff member’s original salary.

Middle managers and coordinators continue to receive a salary based on their diploma but additionally receive a monthly bonus of €400 gross (coordinators of a centre for part-time education or coordinators of a time out facility) or €250 gross (part-time middle managers, paramedical coordinators for inclusive schools). This amount is indexed.

When determining financial seniority, all services performed in the public sector, the private sector or as self-employees can be taken into account.

Evaluation report and possibility of appeal

The principal prepares at least one evaluation report for a Provisor, deputy principal, head of department, workshop manager, middle manager or coordinator over a period of five years. For this purpose, they conduct an evaluation interview. The staff member may also request an evaluation in writing from the principal.

Upon a justified written request from the principal and/or on instruction from the school organising body, the school inspection participates in the evaluation.

The staff member prepares in advance a report in which they review their activities over recent years and make proposals for further school development. This report forms the basis of the evaluation interview. The evaluation report concludes with one of the following remarks: “very good”, “good”, “satisfactory”, “poor” or “unsatisfactory”.

If the staff member disagrees with the grade given, they have the right to lodge an appeal.

Promotion positions

The post of school principal is a promotional post. The following posts are distinguished:

• Head teacher or principal of an autonome Grundschule; Principal or study prefect (designation at atheneums and lyceums) of a Regelsekundarschule;
• Principal of a Fördersekundarschule.

Admission requirements

A person may hold the post of school principal if they:

1. comply with the nationality requirements;
2. meet the diploma requirements for the post, i.e. hold at least a first-level higher education diploma;
3. have submitted their application in the prescribed form and within the deadline;
4. possess civil and political rights;
5. omply with militia laws;
6. have a thorough command of German and French.

Application and selection procedure

The call for applications is published in the newspaper, posted in schools, and in any other form the school organising body deems appropriate. It includes the required profile of the school principal and the objectives to be achieved during the term of office.

Applications must be submitted by registered mail. The applicant must enclose, among other things, a strategy and action plan aimed at achieving the objectives outlined in the call for applications.

The school organising body appoints a candidate as school principal. In the community education system, it sets up an independent commission for this purpose. The commission bases its assessment, among other things, on the applicant’s strategy and action plan and an interview, and draws up a report ranking the suitable candidates. In the free and officially subsidised sectors, such a commission does not necessarily have to be set up.

One of the selection criteria for the appointment is the candidate’s teaching qualification and professional experience.

Duration of appointment, termination and nomination

The appointment of the school principal is made for an indefinite period, provided that the position is to be filled for at least one school year and the applicant meets all admission requirements. Otherwise, the appointment is made for a maximum of one school year. It ends in the following cases:

1. in the event of a precautionary temporary suspension from duty lasting more than six months;
2. in the event of being placed at the disposal due to the withdrawal of the post in the interest of the service for more than six months;
3. in the event of the imposition of the following disciplinary sanctions:

• a salary reduction, 
• a temporary suspension from duty for disciplinary reasons, 
• a transfer to non-active status for disciplinary reasons, 
• dismissal due to serious misconduct;

4. in the event of voluntary resignation from the service, if the person is a permanently appointed staff member;
5. in the event of voluntary termination of the appointment;
6. in the event of unilateral termination by the school organising body;
7. if the staff member's evaluation report concludes with the remark “unsatisfactory” and they already received an evaluation report marked “poor” or “unsatisfactory” in the previous school year;
8. if a staff member appointed for an indefinite period has not exercised the position for five consecutive school years due to full-time leave. If the activity is not resumed for at least one full school year between two periods of leave, the duration of this leave is added to the duration of the previous leave;
9. upon the return of the position holder or the staff member who was temporarily replaced.

The appointment ends automatically after five years if, during this period, the school principal has not successfully completed a specialised training course for school principals recognised by the government. The content of this training is defined by decree. It includes the modules school management, team development and communication, school development, educational research, specific school law and school organisation in the German-speaking Community, as well as an internal module offered by the school organising body. The training is not only open to school principals but can also be completed by other educational leaders who are interested.

A nomination as school principal is possible if the following conditions are met:

• the staff member is at least 45 years old; 
• the staff member has held a post for at least five years; 
• the latest evaluation report concludes with at least the remark “good”; 
• the post is considered vacant and the school organising body makes it available for nomination.

Service law

School principals are, for the most part, subject to the provisions of the service law during the exercise of their office, which also applies to teaching staff. However, they are prohibited from taking advantage of certain types of leave, particularly part-time leave.

Temporary replacement

If the appointment of a school principal ends, they leave office, or they are absent full-time due to an approved form of leave, the school organising body may replace them with another person who meets the admission requirements for the position of school principal, without carrying out an application and selection procedure, until the end of the following school year.

Salary and bonus

School principals are entitled to a specific salary scale. Unlike recruitment posts, the salary here is independent of the diploma. The assigned salary scale for secondary school principals depends both on the size of the school and on the respective seniority and financial length of service of the principal.

The salary of the school principal is further increased by a monthly bonus, the non-indexed amount of which is set as follows:

• principals of regular and special secondary schools: €616.15 gross;
• principals of primary schools with at least 300 pupils: €350 gross; 
• principals of primary schools with fewer than 300 pupils: €250 gross.

The salary of school principals is linked to fluctuations in the consumer price index.

If a staff member appointed for an indefinite period or definitively appointed to another post is appointed or employed as a school principal, they continue to receive their previous salary scale until definitive appointment or employment as school principal and receive the difference to the school principal’s salary in the form of a bonus.

In determining the financial length of service, services rendered in the public sector, private sector, or as a self-employed person or freelancer, both domestically and abroad, may be recognised.

Evaluation report and right of appeal 

The school organising body prepares at least one evaluation report for the school principal within a period of five years. An evaluation interview is conducted for this purpose. The school principal may also request an evaluation in writing from the school organising body.

The school principal prepares a report in advance, in which they review their activities over the past years and formulate proposals for further school development. This report forms the basis of the evaluation interview.

The evaluation report concludes with one of the following remarks: “very good”, “good”, “satisfactory”, “poor” or “unsatisfactory”.

If the school principal disagrees with the grade given, they have the right to file an appeal.