Czech schools struggling to find teachers

Half of Czech secondary schools had to spend the summer searching for teachers for the new academic year, with the highest demand in mathematics, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering, according to data from the Ministry of Education. Principals are coping with staff shortages by assigning extra hours to the teachers they have or hiring unqualified teachers, the report says, adding that some schools are still advertising vacancies.

The average age of teachers continues to rise, making it increasingly difficult to fill specialized positions. Ministry data suggest that in the next five years, around 40% of schools in the Vysočina region will face a shortage of teachers, particularly in math, electrical engineering, and information technology.