Thuringia delays teacher workload cuts, sparking backlash from unions
Thuringia's Ministry of Education has unveiled plans to raise the age threshold for reduced teaching hours. The reform aims to keep experienced teachers working beyond 63 by delaying workload reductions. Critics, however, argue the changes will strain educators' health and worsen existing pressures in schools. Currently, teachers in Thuringia receive a two-hour weekly reduction in teaching time starting at age 55. Under the new policy, this benefit will now begin at 60. The reduction will then increase to three hours at 63 and four hours at 66.
The reform is part of a wider 20-measure package designed to cut class cancellations. Other changes include scrapping formal performance reviews, simplifying paperwork, and using AI for lesson planning and parent communication. A new working-time model will also let teachers bank extra hours for later use.
In the 2022/2023 school year, 1,248 teachers benefited from the existing age-related reductions. The ministry has not clarified how staff should use the extra time gained from the delayed cuts.
Both the Thuringian Teachers' Association (tlv) and the Education and Science Workers' Union (GEW) have condemned the plans. The tlv warns of risks to teachers' health, while the GEW calls the reform an attempt to blame educators for broader policy failures. The changes will take effect in the 2026/2027 school year. Teachers will face later workload reductions, with no clear guidance on how to use the freed-up hours. The reform's success will depend on how schools manage the shift and whether it eases or intensifies staffing shortages.
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