Germany’s education system is struggling with a persistent structural staffing crisis. Despite efforts by federal states to mitigate the issue through the creation of new positions, recruitment of lateral entrants, and the introduction of financial incentives, many schools across the country remain unable to fully staff their classrooms. The shortage is particularly acute in STEM subjects—mathematics, computer science, physics, and chemistry—as well as in special needs education, music, and art.
The severity of the situation varies by region. In Brandenburg, Education Minister Gordon Hoffmann (CDU) warned in June that the state might be unable to maintain its standard timetable for the upcoming school year, with rural areas and subjects like biology and chemistry facing the greatest difficulties. Similarly, North Rhine-Westphalia is struggling despite having over 166,000 teaching posts; recent data shows more than 7,770 positions remain vacant. In Saxony-Anhalt, the lack of available staff led to the cancellation of approximately 8.6 percent of all lessons during the 2024/25 school year.
Long-term illness is a significant factor contributing to the vacancies. In North Rhine-Westphalia, 143 civil servant teachers have been on leave for at least one year, 50 for at least two years, and 18 have been absent for at least ten years. Primary schools are the most affected, accounting for 98 of these long-term absences, followed by 54 in secondary schools, 34 in grammar schools, and 27 in vocational schools. Among salaried teachers in the same state, five have been on sick leave for at least ten years and 16 for at least five years. In Hesse, approximately 225 of the 67,000 teachers have been ill for at least a year, with 16 out for more than five years, often citing physical complaints or psychological strain.
While nationwide statistics are difficult to compile due to inconsistent reporting methods and varying definitions of "long-term illness" across federal states, local surveys indicate hundreds of such cases. In North Rhine-Westphalia, teachers recorded an average sickness rate of 8.43 percent of working days in 2025, with secondary modern schools reaching a rate of 9.83 percent.
The demographic makeup of the workforce further compounds these challenges. According to the Federal Statistical Office, 35.4 percent of teachers in general education schools were aged 50 or older during the 2024/25 school year, signaling a significant wave of upcoming retirements. Because training new teachers takes several years, the system is under immense pressure. Compounding this, the demand for educators is expected to grow; the number of pupils in Germany is projected to rise from just under 11.2 million in 2024 to nearly 11.8 million by 2032, representing an increase of about 5.3 percent. While numbers may fluctuate thereafter, the population of pupils is expected to remain around 11.3 million by 2040.
