fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Demographic Shifts › Article

Off sick for up to ten years: What lies behind Germany's teacher shortage

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 799 words · By Nela Heidner
Demographic Shifts Education System Crisis Public Sector Labor Shortages
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Demographic Shifts

At the start of the new school year, many German schools face an acute staffing crisis, with teachers missing in several subjects and lengthy sick leave further tightening an already tense situation.

Claims checked 20
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

At the start of the new school year, many German schools face an acute staffing crisis, with teachers missing in several subjects and lengthy sick leave further tightening an already tense situation.

Why it matters

Germany’s schools are facing a structural staffing crisis.

Common ground

More teachers have been hired and the federal states are trying to counter this by creating additional posts, recruiting lateral entrants and offering financial incentives.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/08/11/off-sick-for-up-to-ten-years-what-l…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 20 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 10
info Single Source 6
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
cancel Disputed 1
verified
Claim 1: “Although the state [North Rhine-Westphalia] now has more than 166,000 teaching posts, more than 7,770 positions were still unfilled most recently.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for North Rhine-Westphalia contains general geographic and political information, but no data regarding the number of teaching posts or unfilled positions.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2027 North Rhine-Westphalia state election will be held in 2027 to elect the 19th Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2027_North_Rhine-Westphalia_st…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia (German: Nordrhein-Westfalen [ˌnɔɐtʁaɪn vɛstˈfaːlən] ), commonly shortened to NRW, is a landlocked state (Land) in Western Germany. With more than 18 m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Rhine-Westphalia
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Westphalia (; German: Westfalen [vɛstˈfaːlən]; Low German: Westfålen [vεs(t)ˈfɔːln]) is a cultural region of northwestern Germany, former province of Prussia, and one of the three historic parts of th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westphalia
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 2: “According to the Federal Statistical Office, in the 2024/25 school year exactly 35.4 per cent of teachers at general education schools were at least 50 years old.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 3: “Secondary schools are missing 54 teachers, grammar schools 34 and vocational schools 27 [on long-term sick leave in Berlin].”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the specific numbers of missing secondary, grammar, or vocational school teachers in Berlin.
schedule
Claim 4: “There are also long-term absences among salaried teachers: five of them have been on sick leave for at least ten years, and 16 for at least five years [in Berlin].”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 5: “In Saxony-Anhalt, around 8.6 per cent of lessons in the 2024/25 school year were cancelled because no cover could be provided.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 6: “According to the education administration, 18 teachers have even been on sick leave for at least ten years [in Berlin].”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim that 18 teachers have been on sick leave for ten years is mentioned in one source, with no further corroboration.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Berlin served as a scientific, artistic, and philosophical hub during the Age of Enlightenment, Neoclassicism, and the German revolutions of 1848–1849. During the Gründerzeit, an industrialization-ind…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Berlin ist ein internationaler Standort für innovative Unternehmensgründer und verzeichnet seit 2010 hohe Zuwachsraten bei der Zahl der Erwerbstätigen. [15] Berlin gilt als Weltstadt der Kultur, Medie…
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The history of Berlin traces back to the 12th century, when it emerged as a trading post. Over the centuries, Berlin grew in political and cultural significance, especially under the Hohenzollern dyna…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Berlin
schedule
Claim 7: “According to the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education, there were just under 11.2 million pupils in Germany in 2024.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 8: “Some 25.4 per cent were between 50 and 59, and a further 10 per cent were 60 or older.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 9: “By 2032 the number [of pupils] is set to rise to almost 11.8 million, an increase of around 5.3 per cent.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 10: “By 2040, however, around 11.3 million pupils are still expected.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 11: “According to the city’s education administration, 380 teachers have been on sick leave for at least a year [in Berlin].”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is directly supported by one source (Euronews/web_search), but no other independent sources confirm the specific number of 380 teachers on sick leave in Berlin.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Berlin is the capital and largest city of Germany. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the highest population within its city limits of any city in the European Union. The city is also one of the sta…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Berlin 380 kV electric line is a 38.3-km double-circuit high-voltage electric three-phase power line in Berlin. An unusual system for a municipality, it was installed by the West Berlin Bewag uti…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_380-kV_electric_line
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Battle of Berlin, designated as the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, and also known as the Fall of Berlin, was one of the last major offensives of the European theatre of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Berlin
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 12: “Primary schools are particularly hard hit, with 98 teachers out on long-term sick leave [in Berlin].”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the number of primary school teachers on long-term sick leave in Berlin.
info
Claim 13: “They include 225 civil servants and 155 salaried teachers [on sick leave for at least a year in Berlin].”
SINGLE SOURCE
The breakdown of 225 civil servants and 155 salaried teachers is found in one source, with no further independent corroboration.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Akaflieg Berlin B6 was a glider built in Germany in the late 1930s. It featured a high-wing, cantilevered mid-wing sailplane configuration with Junkers-flaps, retractable landing gear, all moving …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akaflieg_Berlin_B6
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The DRG Class SVT 137 was a class of streamlined diesel railcars of the Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft and later of the Deutsche Bundesbahn (as class VT 04) and the Deutsche Reichsbahn. With a regul…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DRG_Class_SVT_137
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of Germany's tallest structures, containing all types of structures. Please correct and expand this list. Various other wind turbines reach at least 200 m tip height (list will…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tallest_structures_in_…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 14: “In North Rhine-Westphalia, teachers in 2025 were on sick leave on average for 8.43 per cent of working days”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 15: “More specifically, 143 civil servant teachers have been absent for at least a year, and a further 50 for at least two years.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific numbers (143 absent for a year, 50 for two years) are reported in one source and not corroborated elsewhere.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — They include 225 civil servants and 155 salaried teachers. In total, Berlin employs around 35,000 teachers. More specifically, 143 civil servant teachers have been absent for at least a year, and a fu…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/off-sick-ten-years…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Detailed online map of Moscow with streets and building numbers on the website and in the Yandex Maps mobile app. Places of interest and businesses with ratings, reviews, and photos on the map of Mosc…
https://yandex.com/maps/213/moscow/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — At least 169 people are dead and a state of emergency has been declared after Colombia was hit by one of its largest earthquakes in years.At least 900 people were injured in the quakes, Colombia's Ass…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20e360lx0vo
schedule
Claim 16: “In Hesse, according to the Ministry of Education, around 225 of the approximately 67,000 teachers have been ill for at least a year, 16 of them for more than five years.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 17: “In total, Berlin employs around 35,000 teachers.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The figure of approximately 35,000 teachers in Berlin is mentioned in one web search result, but not corroborated by other independent sources.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — You’ll need solar panels, a way to brake at speeds above 100,000 km per hour, and a lot of patience. My suicidal flight also took about half an hour. But I ran out of energy, and I had to just crash i…
https://steamcommunity.com/app/3904850/discussions/0/5884344…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Tesla Employee Claims Labor Disaster At Giga Berlin.
https://insideevs.com/news/625489/tesla-giga-berlin-worker-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Berlin's 200 largest employers attract qualified employees to the Spree.At the end of last year, the top 200 companies in the capital region employed approximately 523,000 people – an increase of 1.0%…
https://www.businesslocationcenter.de/en/information-for-new…
cancel
Claim 18: “According to the latest projection by the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education (KMK), there is a calculated shortfall of around 27,000 fully qualified teachers in Germany.”
DISPUTED
The evidence provided shows conflicting numbers for the teacher shortfall. One source mentions a range of 49,000-60,000 from the KMK and 75,000-80,000 from a researcher, while the claim specifies 27,000. No source in the provided evidence confirms the 27,000 figure for Germany.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Deutsches Sprachdiplom der Kultusministerkonferenz (engl.: German Language Certificate of the Education Ministers Conference) is an official German language certificate of the German education au…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsches_Sprachdiplom_Stufe_I…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kultusministerkonferenz (German: [ˈkʊltʊsminɪstɐkɔnfeˌʁɛnt͡s] , literally conference of ministers of education) is the assembly of ministers of education of the German states. The body is not part…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kultusministerkonferenz
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The organisation of a Conference of Specialised Ministers is a traditional working method of the Council of Europe. The purpose of such conferences is to define and pursue the goals of the Council of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conference_of_Specialised_Mini…
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 19: “Education Minister Gordon Hoffmann (CDU) warned in June that the state [Brandenburg] would probably no longer be able to guarantee the standard timetable everywhere in the coming school year.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is directly corroborated by one Euronews article. No other independent sources in the provided evidence confirm this specific warning by Gordon Hoffmann.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The election to the state parliament Landtag of Brandenburg was held on 22 September 2024. The outgoing Third Woidke cabinet was a black-red-green "flag of Kenya" coalition consisting of the Social De…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Brandenburg_state_electio…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The fourth Woidke cabinet was the state government of Brandenburg formed on 11 December 2024. SPD Minister President Dietmar Woidke led the coalition of his party and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (B…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Woidke_cabinet
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gordon Hoffmann (born 31 December 1978) is a German politician serving as a member of the Landtag of Brandenburg since 2009. He has served as secretary general of the Christian Democratic Union in Bra…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Hoffmann
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 20: “Secondary modern schools (Hauptschulen) were particularly affected, with a sickness rate of 9.83 per cent [in North Rhine-Westphalia].”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.