Brandenburg's schools at the limit: teachers are missing, student numbers are increasing!

Brandenburg's schools at the limit: teachers are missing, student numbers are increasing!

September 2, 2025 not only brings with it the start of school in Brandenburg, but also a wave of uncertainty. Günther Fuchs, the state chairman of the teachers' union GEW, accused the SPD-BSW government of "failure in education policy" in an urgent appeal. Particularly in view of the fact that the number of teaching positions is to be reduced by 340 despite increasing student numbers. Fuchs expresses concern that there is a shortage of teachers everywhere, while school conditions are often anything but rosy. According to the GEW boss, almost 1,000 new teachers would have been necessary to meet the current requirements, but instead further savings are being made. Tagesspiegel reports

The students in Brandenburg are not exactly in the top group in nationwide comparisons. This is causing unrest among the district parent councils in numerous regions, who have also expressed their uncertainties. Teachers who may want to retire from the profession often face oversized class sizes and ever-increasing bureaucracy. Parents are urgently calling for teachers to be relieved of their burden. In view of the cuts and the already high burden of everyday teaching, they have the feeling that their work is becoming increasingly difficult.

Statistics and lesson cancellations

Statistics shed light on the teaching situation in Brandenburg. In the first six months of the current school year, around 152,000 hours of school lessons were canceled without replacement, which corresponds to 2.23% of the total hours. This is 18,000 hours fewer than in the previous year, where the loss of lessons was 2.5%. However, this decline in default does not prove that everything is fine; after all, the pre-corona pandemic level of 1.8% has not yet been reached. rbb24 is holding on

Although the Ministry of Education only speaks of “not a widespread problem”, there is an above-average need for representation in individual schools and due to long-term illnesses. The spokesman for the State Student Council, Stefan Tarnow, sums it up: “The cuts unsettle teachers and students alike.” The forecasts are equally worrying: according to the latest models, the shortage of secondary school teachers will continue until 2034/35. Tagesspiegel reports

Prospects and challenges

Parent representatives have also criticized the ministry because they have the feeling that additional tasks are being canceled to ensure regular lessons. Students with special educational needs or reading and writing difficulties (LRS) will have a particularly difficult time in this situation. Measures such as waiving exams at the end of the tenth grade or reducing class tests are difficult to implement because there is usually a lack of political will to act quickly.

Overall, it is clear: Brandenburg is facing a challenge that cannot be easily solved in the coming years. It is time for those responsible to sit down at the table and find solutions that focus on both teachers and students. Only with a solid education system can positive development for future generations be ensured.