School year 2024/2025: Almost every tenth lesson canceled

In Saxony, almost every tenth lesson was canceled in the past school year. This is according to statistics from the Ministry of Education. According to the statistics, the proportion of canceled lessons to the total number of lessons was 9.2 percent. The school authorities divide this into scheduled and unscheduled absences.

In the case of scheduled absences, the timetable cannot be adhered to because there are too few teachers in the first place or classrooms are lacking. Unscheduled absences are caused by teacher illness, further education and training, accidents, strikes, bomb threats or construction work.

Cancellation of lessons is a problem at secondary schools and special schools in particular

Cancellation is a problem at secondary schools and special schools in particular. At some schools, it exceeds the 20 percent mark. At the Brüder-Grimm-Schule Weißwasser (special school) in the district of Görlitz, the scheduled absence rate was 30.5 percent. At the Goethe secondary school in Breitenbrunn in the Ore Mountains, the figure was 24.8 percent and at the Sehmatal secondary school it was 23.4 percent.

Union sees decades of failed education policy

The Education and Science Union (GEW) spoke of a "dramatic shortfall in teaching" and described it as the result of decades of failed education policy. "In the current school year 2025/26, the measures taken by the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs will not eliminate the loss of teaching hours, but merely shift it between the different types of schools," it said.

Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs wants to halve the loss of teaching hours

Saxony's Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, Conrad Clemens (CDU), had already announced in February that he wanted to halve the loss of teaching hours with a package of measures. For example, teachers from other types of schools will be seconded to secondary schools. At the start of the school year, he expressed confidence that the situation would improve.

GEW remains sceptical and criticizes "thumbscrews" for teachers

The GEW, on the other hand, remains sceptical. "Due to secondments and severe funding cuts in substitute teaching, absenteeism at primary and secondary schools will increase this school year", explained GEW head Burkhard Naumann. Clemens is applying thumbscrews that will ultimately lead to fewer teachers because young people are opting for other professions.