Upcoming Trade Shows in Germany for Family & Education

Despite competitive wages, the teaching profession in Germany faces a growing lack of appeal, driven by high workloads and a perceived lack of prestige, which places Germany’s family and education industry in a precarious position. While initial salaries for permanently employed teachers rank second highest in the EU, salary progression remains comparatively low. According to OECD data, teacher salaries align closely with those of tertiary-educated workers, reflecting the relative financial stability of the profession. However, a significant portion of teachers (28%) would not recommend entering the profession to young people, citing workload concerns and a decline in prestige. The decline in attractiveness of the teaching profession is evident in the decreasing number of teacher education graduates, dropping from 33,500 in 2011 to 28,900 in 2021. To address this challenge, various measures have been put in place. Despite efforts to improve conditions, the perception of teaching as a career choice remains tarnished by concerns over workload and prestige. In response to serious staff shortages in early childhood education and care (ECEC), Germany has undertaken efforts to harmonize qualification requirements and facilitate access to the profession. Initiatives by the Standing Conference of German Education Ministers (KMK) have led to the development of guidance frameworks and competence-oriented qualification profiles for ECEC teachers and assistants. Additionally, the creation of approximately 650 training programs for kindergarten teachers at trade and technical schools offers accessible pathways to training at ISCED 6 or bachelor levels. The pathways to enter the teaching profession vary with significant differences in qualification requirements and training programs. Some states have increasingly employed lateral entrants from diverse backgrounds to fill vacancies. The share of lateral entrants among German teachers has more than doubled from 4% to 10% between 2015 and 2022, with Sachsen-Anhalt recording the highest percentage of lateral entrants in 2022 at 46.9%.