Teacher part-time employment is at an all-time peak in Germany - Increase in Part-time Teaching in Germany Reaches Record Levels
Part-time Teaching and Older Teachers in Germany: A Focus on Bremen
In the 2023/24 school year, more than every third teacher in Germany was at least 50 years old, with Bremen having the lowest proportion of older teachers at 30.1%. However, the current part-time quota for teachers in Bremen is about 60%, meaning many teaching positions are offered at a 60% part-time work level.
Across all economic sectors in Germany, the proportion of women was 48.1% in 2023. In stark contrast, women made up almost three-quarters of the teaching staff at general schools in Germany, contributing to the high part-time quota in this sector. The high proportion of women among teachers is attributed to the relatively high proportion of older teachers, as women tend to have longer life expectancies.
Compared to other sectors, part-time work among teachers at general schools in Germany is a notable trend. In 2023, the part-time quota for teachers was higher than the national average for part-time employment across all sectors. Hamburg has the highest part-time quota among the states mentioned, at 55%, while Bremen has the lowest at 52.2%. Thuringia also has a high proportion of older teachers, with 50% of teachers being at least 50 years old.
On the other hand, around every fifth teacher was under 35 years old. The Saarland has a relatively low proportion of older teachers, with 28.4%. Detailed federal state comparisons are not provided here, but other states typically have varying part-time quotas influenced by local labor policies, school needs, and teacher union agreements.
For more precise or comparative figures, consulting Bremen’s education authority or national teacher workforce statistics from the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) would be recommended, as these sources track teacher employment types by state comprehensively.
[1] This information is based on job postings referring to contracts with 60% workload, which corresponds roughly to 18 hours per week at a 30h full-time workload.
In the context of Bremen's education sector, it might be beneficial to implement a community policy that encourages vocational training for older teachers to better match their workloads with part-time teaching positions, aligning with the current 60% part-time quota in the region and promoting education-and-self-development among this demographic.
Additionally, considering the high part-time quota in teaching and the notable trend of older teachers in Germany, it would be worth exploring vocational training programs specifically designed for these teachers to enhance their skills and remain competitive in their careers, thereby contributing to their overall well-being and continued success in the education-and-self-development domain.
