Reduced number of educators and pupils in Saxony-Anhalt - Fewer educators and students found in Saxony-Anhalt
In the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, a paradoxical situation persists: despite a decrease in student numbers, the shortage of teachers remains a pressing issue. This predicament is primarily attributed to ongoing structural challenges that are not easily resolved by fewer pupils or the creation of new support roles.
Demographic developments play a significant part in this issue. Like other eastern federal states, Saxony-Anhalt has experienced population declines, particularly among young adults. This demographic change leads to fewer students overall, but it also impacts the supply of teachers since fewer young people mean fewer candidates entering the teaching profession.
Recruitment and retention of qualified teachers also pose challenges. Even with fewer students, the demand for teachers remains high due to retirements, increased specialization requirements, and teacher workload. The introduction of a new personnel category of pedagogical teaching assistants likely addresses support roles rather than replacing fully qualified teachers, so the core teacher shortage persists.
The attractiveness of the teaching profession is another factor. Across Germany and especially in eastern states like Saxony-Anhalt, teaching struggles with issues such as workload, salary, and career prospects, which affect recruitment and retention.
Education Minister Jan Riedel (CDU) has warned of precarious situations at individual schools in Saxony-Anhalt and emphasized the need for more teachers to remain active in schools. To address this, a new personnel category of pedagogical teaching assistants will be introduced from 2026 to support schools, particularly secondary schools, and undertake pedagogical tasks. The first staff for these positions are expected to be deployed from early 2026.
Currently, the number of teaching staff at general schools in Saxony-Anhalt stands at 13,934, a decrease from 14,032 in 2024. In June, 152 positions for pedagogical teaching assistants were advertised, but there are not enough applicants for advertised teaching positions in Saxony-Anhalt.
The new school year begins for approximately 213,800 students, a decrease from 214,300 students last year. The number of first-graders has decreased from nearly 19,600 in 2024 to 18,947 in the current year. The teaching staffing rate across all general schools stands at 93.6%, down from 94% last year.
Approximately 1,900 pedagogical staff support schools in Saxony-Anhalt. The new pedagogical teaching assistants will undergo a 450-hour qualification program and be based in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt. Projections indicate further declines in student numbers in Saxony-Anhalt.
Despite these efforts, more teachers are leaving schools than are being newly hired in Saxony-Anhalt. Over 1,000 teaching staff have left active service, and the number of lateral entrants among teaching staff has increased from 2,247 in 2024 to 2,439 in the current year.
This article is based on demographic data and general knowledge of educational workforce trends in the region, as direct, detailed explanations about this teacher shortage in Saxony-Anhalt were not found in the search results.
- The ongoing teacher shortage in Saxony-Anhalt, despite a decrease in student numbers, can be linked to the community policy, as fewer young people lead to fewer candidates entering the teaching profession.
- In the broader context of education-and-self-development, the introduction of vocational training programs for pedagogical teaching assistants in Saxony-Anhalt could potentially address the issue, but politics and general-news highlight that the attractiveness of the teaching profession, workload, salary, and career prospects also need consideration for long-term solutions.
