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Saxony Sets 2040 Target for 4,600 Fewer Teacher Posts

The ministry will hold staffing steady until 2032 to manage a long decline in enrolment.

Overview

  • Saxony’s education ministry, which presented the forecast Tuesday in Dresden, says schools will need about 25,600 teachers by 2040.
  • Staffing stays at current levels through the 2031/32 school year, and later cuts will include a buffer so they do not mirror enrolment losses.
  • The state statistics office projects roughly 80,000 fewer pupils by 2040/41 from about 440,000 today, a baseline the GEW union calls too low and likely to leave gaps.
  • To support teaching quality, the plan adds an extra general-studies lesson in grade 3 next school year, a third PE hour in grade 4 from 2027/28, and from 2028/29 weekly time for one-to-one language help plus a class period for class matters.
  • Any school closures will be decided by municipalities, with the minister saying he wants to avoid the broad shutdowns seen around the turn of the millennium.