- Most of the teachers' posts advertised are filled
Just ahead of the start of the new school year in Lower Saxony, over 80% of advertised teaching positions have been filled. As of July 22nd, this stands at over 1,200 out of 1,467 advertised positions, according to the Ministry of Education in Hannover. The ministry described this as a good figure.
They are optimistic that more positions will be filled in the coming days. The hiring process will continue even after the start of school. The new school year in Lower Saxony begins next Monday.
Stefan Störmer, the state chairman of the Education and Science Union (GEW), told dpa that it was not clear how the state government planned to manage the situation at schools in the medium and long term.
"The currently advertised positions, even if fully filled, would not be enough to make up for the teaching shortage. Moreover, it is questionable whether all positions can be filled due to the still tense situation on the job market," said Störmer. He expects the situation to worsen, which could vary regionally.
Despite the high fill rate, the Ministry of Education continues to seek qualified teachers for upcoming vacancies. This is particularly important given Störmer's concerns about the Ministry of Culture's role in addressing the long-term teaching shortage in Lower Saxony.
