Teachers Work Too Much – Union in Oldenburg Pushes for Time Tracking
Wencke Hlynsdóttir from the GEW (Education and Science Union) in Oldenburg criticizes the excessive workload of teachers. To address this, she is calling for the introduction of a structured time tracking system.
While other federal states are slowly making progress, Lower Saxony is still lagging behind. Yet the urgency for clear and systematic recording of working hours is becoming increasingly evident – as teacher workloads continue to rise steadily.
The Workday of Teachers: More Than Just Teaching
Preparing lessons, grading tests, organizing field trips – the responsibilities of a teacher go far beyond the daily classroom instruction. These numerous additional tasks are rarely recorded, even though they make up a significant portion of working time.
In Bremen, for example, unions have been advocating for the introduction of time tracking for teachers for years. Most recently, the Senate rejected a proposal by the school staff council – for now. However, the state’s education department is planning a pilot phase for the 2026/27 school year.
In Lower Saxony, though, implementation still seems far off.
“I believe recording working hours for teachers is long overdue,” says Wencke Hlynsdóttir, chair of the GEW district association Weser-Ems in Oldenburg.
“It is a key tool for occupational health and safety.”
For over ten years, the GEW has been demanding transparent time tracking. This demand is based on a dedicated working time study commissioned by the union, which clearly shows that teachers regularly work overtime.
- High school teachers average three extra hours per week.
- Primary school teachers work on average 1 hour and 20 minutes beyond their contractual hours.
The data underlines a pressing reality: Teachers are overburdened – and it's time for that to be formally recognized and addressed.
Unpaid Overtime and Staff Shortages
Teachers are often expected to do everything. Besides preparing and following up on lessons, they have to attend subject meetings, hold parent consultations, and organize class trips. These tasks take a lot of time but are rarely documented.
The union is therefore calling not only for working time tracking but also for more support staff. Many schools lack people who can help with digitalization—such as managing school iPads or maintaining digital whiteboards.
On top of that, sick leave among teachers has risen dramatically in recent years. In the 2022/23 school year, the average number of sick days in schools was nearly 14 days—double what it was in 2018/19.
This overload causes more absences and puts extra pressure on the remaining teachers, who have to cover for their absent colleagues.
Time Tracking as the Key to Improvement
The Association of Lower Saxony Teachers (Oldenburg-East Frisia district) also supports the call for working time tracking.
“People have neglected the school system and especially the hiring of new teachers,”
explains Jan Huismann.
Clear recording of working hours would not only make overloads visible but also allow targeted steps to reduce stress.
“The question then will be: What conclusions do we draw from this?”
Legal Situation and Looking Ahead
According to a 2022 ruling by the Federal Labor Court, all employees must record their working hours. However, practical implementation in schools has not happened yet.
The Lower Saxony Ministry of Education confirmed that a draft to amend the working hours law exists, but a final agreement at the federal level is still missing.
A pilot phase, similar to the one in Bremen, is being discussed as a “possible option.”
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