Expert report: More than 9000 teachers are needed
According to an expert report, the number of student teachers in Saxony-Anhalt is not sufficient to cover the demand for teachers in the coming years. According to an analysis published by the Ministry of Education on Monday, only 48 percent of the demand can be covered by university graduates within the next four to five years. At secondary schools, only one in five positions could be filled by student teachers from Saxony-Anhalt. The additional teachers required must be recruited from other sources, such as lateral entrants or from other federal states.
According to the Ministry of Education, pupil numbers will initially rise until the coming school year: From 180,500 children in the comparative year 2021/22 to 191,000 in the school year 2024/25, after which a trend reversal is expected: In the 2035/36 school year, 161,000 children and young people are expected to be studying at public schools in Saxony-Anhalt. Accordingly, the number of teaching positions will also decrease by eleven percent to around 12,900.
However, retirement poses a major challenge for schools. Over the next twelve years, just over two thirds of the current teaching staff will retire. The expert report therefore concludes that around 9060 graduates from teacher training courses would have to enter the teaching profession by 2035 in order to cover the demand. The current graduate quota would not be sufficient.
In addition to the sheer number of students, the report also points to a particular need in certain subjects. For example, teachers are particularly needed in the core subjects of German, mathematics and English, as well as in the natural sciences. All teachers currently trained in Saxony-Anhalt have prospects in the state's teaching profession.
To address the personnel shortage in the education sector, more schools might need to consider hiring teachers from other regions or recruiting lateral entrants. The current teacher training graduates, however, will only be able to fill around 48% of the demand in the next four to five years, leaving a significant gap of over 4000 teachers needed in Saxony-Anhalt.
As the expert report highlights, the requirement for teachers in core subjects like German, mathematics, English, and natural sciences is particularly high. Recruiting enough qualified teachers in these fields will be crucial to ensuring the provision of quality education for the projected influx of students in Saxony-Anhalt's schools.
Source: www.dpa.com
