- What's changing for the new school year in Lower Saxony
The new school year in Lower Saxony brings challenges. Once again, there are more students - simultaneously, there is a shortage of teachers. Minister of Education Julia Willie Hamburg (Greens) remains optimistic. "We have more students, more tasks, and massive personnel challenges," she said, adding, "But we also have more teachers than ever before in Lower Saxony." Moreover, the minister aims to promote educational equity through three measures.
An overview of the new school year
Students: At the start of the new school year, the number of students will increase again. The Ministry of Education expects 840,000 students for the new school year, around 19,000 more than the previous year. Given rising birth rates and migration, Minister Hamburg expects further increases in the coming years. Around 82,000 children will start first grade, slightly more than last year (80,871). The first day of school is August 10.
Teachers: More students require more staff. "Every additional teacher helps us counteract the downward trend in the face of increasing student numbers," said Hamburg. Since the beginning of the year, the Ministry of Education has hired 2,191 teachers. However, there have also been 1,764 departures, resulting in a net gain of around 400 teachers. This is a contribution to stabilizing the situation as best as possible. However, it is clear that the shortage persists.
Of the 1,467 advertised positions, 1,220 have been filled, a rate of about 83 percent - slightly better than last year (81 percent). "We will continue to hire at full speed in the coming weeks," said Hamburg. With the 2025 budget draft, the state aims to create 2,460 additional positions this and next year. The catch: 876 of these positions have already been filled, leaving only 1,584 for next year.
More money for teachers
Salary: The state aims to counter the teacher shortage, among other things, by increasing salaries. At the start of the new school year, many teachers will move to a higher pay grade. According to the Ministry of Education, around 35,500 teachers will benefit from this. Over 71,000 teachers teach at Lower Saxony's general schools.
In full-time employment, this means an increase of several hundred euros per month. The exact income depends on various factors, such as whether the teacher is civil servant and receives additional allowances.
Teaching supply: Teaching supply in Lower Saxony has been a contentious issue for years. It recently stood at 96.9 percent, a slight increase. The value varies depending on the school type. As of August 2023, it was almost 100 percent at grammar schools, but only 91.6 percent at special schools.
Better work-life balance
Schools: According to the Ministry of Education, 41 new full-day schools have been approved for the start of the new school year. Accordingly, 75 percent of all public general schools are full-day schools; the figure is 70 percent for primary schools. Full-day schools can introduce additional times on days with an open offer in addition to existing pick-up times. With flexible pick-up times, the state makes an important contribution to better balancing work and family life.
More Educational Equity: Hamburg's Minister of Education to Launch Initiative for Greater Educational Equity at the Start of the New School Year
To achieve this, three interconnected measures will be implemented: the Social Index, the Start Chance Program, and the learning time "Secure Foundation".
Social Index: If schools have a higher need for support among children and young people, additional teachers or staff will be deployed there. The Social Index, which considers various parameters such as the proportion of students with a migration background or language support measures, was developed to identify where this need is particularly high.
Focus on Primary Schools
Start Chance Program: Around 122,000 children and young people are expected to benefit from this program, which aims to increase educational equity. Over a period of ten years, the number of students failing to meet minimum standards in mathematics and German will be halved at 390 schools across the state.
Learning Time "Secure Foundation": According to the Ministry of Education, a quarter of all students do not meet the minimum standards by the end of the fourth grade. Therefore, the focus will now be on primary schools. The learning time aims to improve the acquisition of basic competencies, enabling children to build a solid foundation for their further learning.
Criticism: Despite the higher pay for many teachers, the Education and Science Union (GEW) sees numerous problems for the new school year. A significant improvement in teaching staffing is not in sight, said the GEW state chairman Stefan Störmer, despite the increase in many educators' salaries.
CDU: Situation Has Worsened
Criticism also came from the CDU. Since taking office, the Minister of Education has addressed existing school problems but has not taken effective measures to solve them, criticized the CDU faction chairman Sebastian Lechner. The situation has deteriorated. "What we urgently need now is a determined offensive to improve teaching staffing," said Lechner.
AfD education politician Harm Rykena criticized the Start Chance Program's length and the low teaching staffing rate of 96.6 percent. "To prevent real absences, it should ideally be at 110 percent," he said.
I'm not going to blame the Minister of Education for the teacher shortage directly, as there are complex factors at play.
Regarding the criticisms, I'm not in a position to dispute the claims made by the Education and Science Union or the CDU, but I believe the Minister has taken steps to address the challenges facing the education system in Lower Saxony.
