Except for the pension system, for which the federal state remains responsible, the parliament and the government of the German-speaking Community of Belgium are responsible for all employment conditions of teachers and other staff in the education sector.

Demand planning

The phenomenon of teacher shortages has become entrenched in the educational landscape of the German-speaking Community. Since 2022, a teacher demand forecast has been developed and continued in order to identify general needs based on student numbers on the one hand, and to take into account attrition and regular new hires on the other. At the same time, an annual record is kept of which teaching positions are experiencing an acute shortage of teachers. The available data is not published.

Access to the profession

The respective school authorities act as employers responsible for personnel designations, appointments, and hirings.

• Schools within the community education system (GUW) are organised by the German-speaking Community. Personnel management is carried out centrally by the DG Ministry.
• Schools within the free subsidised education system (FSU) are under private-law management by the VoG Episcopal Schools in the German-speaking Community (BSDG), which also centrally manages its staff.
• Schools within the official subsidised education system (OSU) are managed by the nine municipalities in the German-speaking area, each acting as employer and thus responsible for personnel.

Personnel regulations are based on the principle of titles and posts. For each post, the required titles (diplomas and possibly additional training or certificates) are defined to allow employment of a staff member. Furthermore, at least a thorough knowledge of the language of instruction must always be demonstrated. Posts and qualification requirements may vary depending on the educational network.

In all three school networks, teachers at the start of their careers are always employed temporarily:

• "temporarily fixed-term" if the position is not filled for the entire school year, i.e., until 30 June, or if the applicant does not have the required qualification (diploma + possibly additional training) and/or required language certificates;
• "temporarily permanent from start of service" if the position is filled until 30 June and the applicant has the required qualification and proof of thorough knowledge of the language of instruction.

As long as no designation or permanent appointment (from the start of service) exists, the applicant must reapply for the post with their school authority every school year. 

Selection of applicants follows the rules established in the relevant personnel statute.

To obtain a permanent appointment or designation, or a definitive appointment or hiring, a staff member must, among other requirements, achieve a length of service defined in the personnel statute (in the post, with their employer) and meet all diploma and language requirements. This increases job security and offers the staff member more career development opportunities. Appointed or definitively hired staff also have entitlement to a public service pension.

Besides the so-called recruitment posts (kindergarten teacher, special education teacher, primary school teacher, teacher for general education courses in lower or upper secondary education, primary school teacher at a special school, etc.), there are so-called selection and promotion posts. These are generally posts associated with advisory and leadership duties. Examples include the school principal, the special education advisor, or the middle manager at a secondary school. Special provisions for these posts are set out in the personnel regulations, defining qualification requirements, recruitment procedures, and contractual conditions (see chapter 9).

Induction programmes

Various measures are implemented to support new and lateral entrants. These are targeted at specific groups or organised at the school level. At the Autonome Hochschule in the German-speaking Community (AHS), support during the career entry phase (“startklar”) is provided for kindergarten and primary school teachers. In some schools, new colleagues are mentored by experienced colleagues, guided through the school, or informed through starter kits and information brochures. Some schools organise job shadowing or integrate new colleagues into existing subject teams.

Professional status

Job security

The number of available positions at schools partly depends on their student numbers. Staff members with a permanent contract as well as appointed staff enjoy higher job security because they must be given priority when assigning positions.

Appointed staff members are also continued to be employed and paid by their school authority even if their position at the original school can no longer be organised.  

Personnel regulations

• Königlicher Erlass vom 22. März 1969 zur Festlegung des Statuts der Personalmitglieder im Gemeinschaftsunterrichtswesen (GUW)
• Dekret vom 14. Dezember 1998 zur Festlegung des Statuts der subventionierten Personalmitglieder des freien subventionierten Unterrichtswesen (FSU)
• Dekret vom 9. März 2004 über das Statut der subventionierten Personalmitglieder des offiziellen subventionierten Unterrichtswesen (OSU)
• Königlicher Erlass vom 25. Oktober 1971 zur Festlegung des Statuts der Primarschullehrer, Lehrer und Inspektoren für katholische, protestantische, israelitische, orthodoxe, islamische und anglikanische Religion in den Lehranstalten der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft
• Dekret vom 31. August 1998 über den Auftrag an die Schulträger und das Schulpersonal sowie über die allgemeinen pädagogischen und organisatorischen Bestimmungen für die Regel- und Förderschulen (Grundlagendekret)

The aforementioned personnel statutes define the admission conditions and rules for recruitment posts, selection posts and promotion posts, as well as the conditions required for temporary designation or definitive appointment or hiring. They include provisions on fundamental obligations, incompatibilities, final dismissal from office, provisional temporary suspension, and disciplinary procedures. They also provide for the establishment of an appeals chamber and — in OSU and FSU — a joint commission, defining their tasks.

The basic decree contains provisions on the following topics, among others:

• Teaching content and assessment of student performance and qualifications
• Special education support
• Education of newly arrived immigrant students
• Mandate of personnel
• Further training and continuing education of personnel
• Weekly working hours

Substitution measures

In the event of a teacher’s absence, the employment of a substitute teacher and their payment at the expense of the German-speaking Community is only permitted from the first day of absence if the absence is due either to a medical certificate covering at least five consecutive working days or to a justified and approved leave request. When selecting substitute teachers, statutory priority rules must be observed. 

In single-class kindergartens and primary schools, a teacher may also be replaced in the case of an absence of just one day.

If the duration of the illness-related absence is less than five consecutive days, it is the school principal’s responsibility, in line with their mandate, to find internal school solutions that ensure that teaching is provided as far as possible. 

Support offers

Various internal and external school measures and institutions provide teachers at all schools with advice and support in different areas: 

• Special education teachers in the basic school: low-threshold special educational advice,
• Subject team leaders and middle managers in secondary schools: subject-specific and cross-subject as well as school-wide collaboration and support,
• Pedagogical advisory service at the Autonome Hochschule in the DG: subject-specific methodological-didactic advice,
• School inspection, school development counselling, and counselling for inclusion and integration,
• Competency centre of the centre for special needs pedagogy: special education pedagogical advisory services,
• Kaleido, centre for the healthy development of children and young people: cooperation and support within the framework of psychosocial and paramedical counselling for learners.

Salary

The German-speaking Community pays the salaries of staff members in all education networks directly on a monthly basis. Salaries are calculated according to the same criteria across all networks.

The salary for staff members in a recruitment position mainly depends on the following factors: 

• highest qualification (Master’s, Bachelor’s, A-levels, no diploma)
• length of service and recognised years of service
• type and scope of the occupied position
• family situation 

In recognising years of service, the following may be taken into account, among others:

• service in the education sector or in an institution for the care of young children,
• service in the public sector,
• professional experience in the private sector or as a self-employed person (only for certain positions),
• service with associations or foundations related to education.

As in the entire public sector, salaries in education are indexed and increase by 2% when a threshold index is exceeded. 

In addition to the salary, all staff members receive holiday pay in May and a year-end bonus in December.

Teaching staff in a recruitment position also receive an office expenses allowance alongside their salary. 

Working hours and holidays

In addition to the teaching hours to be delivered, the duties of staff members also include other services necessary for the exercise of the respective position. These services are defined in the 1998 decree on the mandate for school authorities and school staff as well as on the general pedagogical and organisational provisions for regular and special schools. The mandate includes, besides teaching, participation in staff meetings, work with parents, and continuing professional development.

Working hours in primary school

• A full timetable for a kindergarten teacher comprises 28 teaching hours.
• A full timetable for a primary school teacher comprises 24 to 26 teaching hours.
   

Additional duties must be carried out by staff members within the framework of the aforementioned mandate.

• Headteachers, special education teachers, and administrative staff work 36 to 38 hours of 60 minutes per week.
• The average weekly working time for a full-time kindergarten assistant is set at 36 hours of 60 minutes.
• The average weekly working time for a full-time special needs primary school assistant is set at 36 hours of 60 minutes.

Working hours in secondary school

• A full timetable for a teacher in the lower secondary school typically includes 22 to 24 teaching hours.
• A full timetable for the upper secondary school generally comprises 20 to 22 teaching hours.
• Teachers of technical or vocational courses have between 24 and 31 teaching hours in a full timetable.
   

Additional duties must be fulfilled by staff members within the framework of the aforementioned mandate.

• Headteachers, educational and administrative staff work 36 to 38 hours of 60 minutes per week.

 Working hours in other institutions

Working hours in other educational institutions within the German-speaking Community are generally set at 38 hours per week. This applies to the Autonome Hochschule as well as all advisory services (e.g., Kaleido, the Competence Centre, etc.).

Special types of leave

Periods of leave are treated as active service. During the leave, full or partial salary may be paid.

These periods are taken into account when calculating seniority. Certain types of leave are not available to temporary staff.

Leave types serve career planning for personal reasons or for the end of a career. Other types of leave may be taken if the personal situation of the staff member requires it (illness or resumption of service after illness, specific occasions, maternity and parental leave, etc.).

Furthermore, staff members may take on special assignments through the use of leave types.

Career progression and promotions

The teaching career offers promotion opportunities: there are selection and promotion posts that are usually associated with advisory roles or leadership functions (see chapter 10). 

Transfer and mobility

All legal regulations regarding personnel provisions include clauses that allow for transfers from one school to another within the same school authority. Additionally, transfers and mobility across different authorities or school networks are possible and regulated.

Dismissal

The various personnel statutes specify the circumstances under which a staff member may be dismissed. For example, a designation or appointment can be terminated due to negative evaluations by the school inspection or as part of disciplinary proceedings.

Resignation by the staff member is also possible, provided the notice period is respected.

The school authority may also terminate temporary staff members, respecting the applicable notice period.

In all cases, staff members have the right to appeal against a dismissal. The appeal process depends on their statutory situation and may involve different authorities.

Retirement

Pension regulations remain under the responsibility of the federal state. According to current rules, every teacher retires at the latest by the age of 66.

Thanks to an early retirement scheme, staff members in education can leave their service up to two years before their official retirement date under certain conditions. During this period, they receive waiting pay funded by the German-speaking Community. These years of early retirement are counted as normal service years for pension calculation purposes.

In addition to full-time retirement, part-time and half-time early retirement options are also available.