Germany faces teacher shortages and long-term sick leave crisis

Germany is facing a significant structural teacher shortage and staffing crisis across several states. In Berlin, nearly 400 teachers have been on long-term sick leave for at least one year, including 18 individuals absent for over a decade. This issue is particularly acute in primary schools. Political representatives attribute these absences to inadequate staffing levels, which increase the burden on remaining personnel.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, despite record staffing levels, thousands of positions remain unfilled, and the state is currently redistributing personnel to support heavily burdened schools. Nationally, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education estimates a shortfall of approximately 27,000 fully qualified teachers, with critical shortages in STEM subjects, special needs education, arts, and music.

In Hamburg, the school authority has emphasized the importance of democratic values during the induction of 427 new teachers, urging them to take a stand against discrimination and inhumanity while maintaining political neutrality.