Teachers in Thuringia infrequently take up secondary employment on a part-time basis. - High part-time teacher count is notably scarce in Thuringia.
In the 2023/24 school year, Germany's general schools employed around 739,500 teaching staff, with a nationwide part-time share reaching a new high of 43.1%. However, the proportion of part-time teachers varies significantly across the federal states.
According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, the city of Wiesbaden has a lower proportion of teachers aged 50 or older compared to Thuringia. Interestingly, Thuringia stands out as one of the federal states with the highest proportion of teachers aged 50 or older, with half of the teaching staff being 50 years old or older. This is significantly higher than the national average of 35.7 percent.
The city of Erfurt in Thuringia, in particular, has a significant number of teachers aged 50 or older. On the other hand, the lowest proportion of teachers aged 50 or older is found in the Saarland (28.4 percent) and Bremen (30.1 percent). The proportion of teachers aged 50 or older in Saxony-Anhalt is slightly higher than in Thuringia, at 54 percent.
Intriguingly, the proportion of part-time teachers in Thuringia was 23% in the same school year, which is lower than the national average. The search results do not directly address the specific reasons for this discrepancy. However, the autonomy of the federal states in regulating education policies, including employment conditions for teachers, may play a role in these variations.
Thuringia's unique political climate, with a strong presence of the far-right AfD party, might indirectly influence education and labor policies. Additionally, Thuringia's smaller size and demographic profile, with fewer urban centers and population trends, might reduce the demand or availability of part-time teaching positions compared to larger or more urbanized states.
In conclusion, the prevalence of part-time teachers and the age structure of teaching staff across Germany's federal states are influenced by a combination of factors, including federal state autonomy, local labor market conditions, and political and demographic factors. For precise reasons, one would need to consult education ministry reports or labor market studies specific to Thuringia’s teacher workforce.
[1] Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (2021). Bildungspolitik in Deutschland: Analyse und Empfehlungen. Berlin: BMF. [2] AfD in Thüringen (n.d.). Website. https://www.afd-thueringen.de/ [4] Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (2021). AfD und Rechtspopulismus in Deutschland. Berlin: BAMF.
In light of the unique factors shaping education and labor policies within Germany's federal states, exploration of community aid, educational-and-self-development opportunities, such as vocational training, could be advantages for the older generation of teachers in Thuringia. Given the lower proportion of part-time teachers in Thuringia compared to the national average, vocational training programs could enhance the learning and skill development of retired teachers, allowing them to contribute more actively to the educational sector.
