Increasingly, teachers are transitioning roles
In the world of education, Germany has been making strides to address the demand for qualified teachers. This article aims to shed light on the current state of teacher education in the country, focusing on lateral entrants and the influx of new students.
Those who enter the teaching profession without a completed teaching degree are referred to as lateral entrants. However, school statistics do not differentiate between lateral entrants and career changers who lack a recognized teaching certificate.
In the academic year 2023, an increase of 2.4% was observed in the number of new students starting a teaching degree, with around 46,400 students enrolling. Despite this growth, the exact figures and trends for the increase in new teaching students and qualified teachers over the past decade remain elusive, as the available sources primarily focus on general university statistics, population education background, and economic indicators.
Looking back at known patterns and general knowledge up to 2024, Germany has experienced fluctuations in the number of teaching students due to education policies, demographic changes, and demand for teachers. Efforts have been made to increase the number of qualified teachers through expanded teacher training programs and incentives.
However, specific data on teaching students and qualified teachers require direct official education statistics from institutions like the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) or the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (KMK). For instance, the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden reported that in the year 2021, around 77,600 out of 739,500 teachers did not have a recognized teaching certificate.
In contrast to ten years ago, the number of teaching graduates passing the final exams has decreased by 12.6%. Interestingly, the number of new students starting a teaching degree ten years ago was higher than the current number. In the school year 2015/2016, the proportion of teachers without a recognized teaching certificate was lower, at 4.5%.
Unlike career changers, lateral entrants must complete a reference period (referendariat). The proportion of career and lateral entrants at vocational schools in the school year 2023/24 is 16.6%, a decrease from the 20.6% recorded in the school year 2015/16.
For those seeking more detailed information on teacher education statistics or qualifications data from German government or educational institutions, it is advisable to consult official education databases or specialized reports. If assistance is needed in this regard, feel free to reach out to Ralf Schick at 0711 66601 185 or r.schick@our website.
- To ensure personal growth and career advancement in the teaching profession, individuals lacking a recognized teaching certificate might consider enrolling in education-and-self-development programs to acquire the necessary qualifications.
- Over the past decade, learning about the trends in the number of teaching students and qualified teachers in Germany has been a challenging task due to a lack of specific data from official sources like Destatis and the KMK.
