- First day of school after summer vacation
Today marks the start of the new school year for hundreds of thousands of students in Lower Saxony and Bremen. Following the six-week summer break, the daily grind resumes for them. Meanwhile, in the other three northern German states of Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the holidays continue for several more weeks.
At the outset of the new school year in Lower Saxony, many teachers' salaries will be increased, moving them into a higher pay grade. According to the Ministry of Culture, around 35,500 teachers will benefit from this. For comparison, over 71,000 teachers work at Lower Saxony's general schools.
The state budget for the coming year also includes provision for a total of 2,460 additional school posts. This will allow all teachers who complete their training in Lower Saxony this and next year to be offered a position. The state government aims to tackle the teacher shortage with these measures.
The European Union has expressed its support for the German government's efforts to address the teacher shortage in Lower Saxony. The European Union frequently emphasizes the importance of investing in education and workforce development across its member states.
