Alarming teacher shortage in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: future at risk!

Alarming teacher shortage in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: future at risk!

In the current discussion about the teacher shortage in Germany, it is clear that the focus is primarily on age issues and part-time work. A look at the numbers shows that almost half of the teachers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (MV) are older than 50 years - to be precise, 49.1%. The picture looks similar in other federal states: in Saxony-Anhalt the proportion is as high as 54.0% and in Thuringia it is 50.0%. In contrast, the proportion of older teachers is lowest in Saarland at 28.4% and in Bremen at 30.1%, as [n-tv](https://www.n-tv.de/regionales/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Hoher-Alters Average-bei-MV-Lehrern-Teilzeit-waechst-article25962394.html) reports.

But what does that mean for the next generation? In MV, 600 to 700 new teachers have to be hired every year to replace teachers who are leaving due to age. At the same time, the number of trainee teachers is increasing. The alarming trend: Only 8% of teachers in Germany are younger than 30 years old. A real area of ​​action when you consider that the future of education is at stake!

Part-time employment in the teaching profession

Another point that should not be missing from this debate is the part-time quota. In MV this is 37.1%, which is below the national average of 43.1%. Particularly striking: Over half of the teachers in Germany work part-time (50.7%), while the figure for teachers is only 22.6%. In MV, 40.3% of female teachers and 27.3% of teachers work part-time. This shows that the teaching profession is often not only a calling, especially for women, but also a challenge in terms of balancing family and work.

The sometimes high part-time quota may seem encouraging at first glance, but at the same time it represents a risk. With currently 42.3% part-time employees in the 2022/2023 school year, the highest figure in the last ten years has been reached. Compared to the previous year (40.6%), the rate has actually increased, as data from the Federal Statistical Office show. The part-time rate was particularly high in Hamburg at 54.4% and Bremen at 49.9%, while in Thuringia it was 24.1% and Saxony-Anhalt at 21.4%, according to [tagesschau](https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/gesellschaft/lehr Mangel-teilzeitquote-zweijahrhoch-100.html).

A decline in students

This situation is exacerbated by the decline in the number of new teachers studying to become teachers. In 2022, only around 45,400 people started studying to become a teacher - a decline of 3.2% compared to the previous year and 7.0% compared to ten years ago. The number of graduates is also falling: 28,700 teachers successfully completed their studies in 2022, which corresponds to a decrease of 0.7% compared to the previous year. Compared to the last ten years, the decline is even 10.5%. This data is also reflected in the press releases from the Federal Statistical Office.

Education Minister Simone Oldenburg (Left) from MV has spoken out against restrictions on part-time offers, thereby sending a signal that the needs of teachers are being taken seriously. Nevertheless, it remains important that politics and society work together on solutions to overcome the challenges in the education sector and maintain the quality of teaching.