Berlin: If Germany could choose a well-trained teacher from abroad, it would probably be someone like Inge Pizarro Krause. With her eight years of study and two years of classroom experience in Vi±a del Mar, the 33-year-old from Chile is highly qualified and is now preparing to tackle Germany’s desperate teacher shortage. Pizarro Krause has been studying German, didactics, and pedagogy under the special program since August. She has already had a taste of teaching at a vocational school.
According to Deutsche Welle, Pizarro Krause and the other 23 participants from Bosnia, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine will be given fast-track training and practical experience over twelve months to prepare them for teaching in German schools. The Lehrkr¤fte PLUS program is available at four other universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, representing the state’s response to Germany’s increasingly widespread teacher shortage.
There is a shortage of tens of thousands of teachers nationwide, and the numbers are rising. Simultaneously, immigrants with extensive professional experience as teachers are often forced to take temporary jobs. Pizarro Krause expressed concerns about the bureaucratic hurdles faced by immigrant teachers, emphasizing the need for Germany to develop a system to expedite integration.
Dedicated individuals like Semra Krieg and Ariane Elshof, who helped launch the qualification program in Cologne in 2018, have been pivotal in its development. Reflecting on the program’s origins, Elshof recalled the spirit of “We can do it,” akin to former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s encouragement to integrate refugees. Initially, qualified teachers from Turkey and Syria dominated the program, but now most participants hail from Ukraine, with applicants also from Brazil and Tanzania.
A recent study by the University of Potsdam examined the Lehrkr¤fte PLUS program, finding that the participants felt more confident about their future tasks, improved their German language skills, and were motivated to work as teachers in Germany long-term. Most participants would recommend the program to other migrants.
The program’s success is evident, with fewer than one person per year dropping out, according to Krieg. Currently, there are 50 applications for the next intake in August 2026, with the application deadline set for January 8, 2026. However, despite the program’s success, funding is only secured until the end of 2027, while the “Refugee Teachers Program” launched by the University of Potsdam in 2016 has concluded.
Semra Krieg emphasized the importance of language proficiency, openness, perseverance, and tenacity for participants in the program. The program serves as a springboard, pushing participants to their limits in a full-time, year-long course, which includes an internship component.
Natalia Zemlianskaia, a Ukrainian teacher, exemplifies the tenacity required to succeed. After completing the program two years ago, she secured a position at a vocational school in Bonn, where she now teaches English and German to a diverse group of students. Zemlianskaia stressed the importance of understanding the school environment and having supportive mentors and colleagues.
To effectively integrate skilled teachers from abroad, Zemlianskaia urged German politicians to recognize foreign degrees more easily and establish more programs like Lehrkr¤fte PLUS. She advocated for greater awareness and availability of such programs, emphasizing their crucial role in addressing Germany’s teacher shortage.