OECD study urges overhaul of teacher training and working conditions in Germany

In the OECD's latest education overview, Andreas Schleicher warns that Germany places too much emphasis on class size while neglecting other factors that affect the teaching profession's appeal. The study finds that a notable proportion of German teachers are employed without completing full qualification, a situation linked to the country's extended teacher preparation system, which includes trainees in the count of partially qualified staff.

German teachers also report higher weekly working hours than the OECD norm and salaries that have barely kept pace with inflation since 2015. Schleicher suggests that better working conditions, smaller class sizes, and stronger school leadership are essential to retain qualified teachers. He also recommends admitting fewer teacher-training students but providing higher-quality education to ensure they stay in the classroom. Finally, he calls for a more strategic allocation of top teachers to challenging schools and of effective principals to problem schools.