Vincent(44)

For fifteen years I taught at a Montessori school in The Hague. I taught English and social studies, and loved my work. But the Dutch education system was wearing me down: oversized classes, insufficient support, a salary that didn't keep pace with inflation. When my wife was offered a job at Continental in Hannover, I saw it as a chance to give my career a new direction too.

In Germany teachers are treated as professionals. Most Lehrer at public schools have Beamtenstatus — they are civil servants with a lifelong appointment, a good salary (A13 scale, about €4,500 gross as a starter) and a guaranteed pension through the Pensionssystem. As a foreign teacher with a foreign diploma you don't directly qualify for Beamtenstatus, but international schools pay well.

I found a job at the International School Hannover Region (ISHR). The salary is €55,000 gross per year — considerably more than the €45,000 I earned in The Hague. The school also offered relocation support: help with the Anmeldung, advice on the Krankenkasse and an introduction to a Steuerberater. Classes are smaller (maximum 20 students), the budget for teaching materials is more generous and parents are involved without overruling.

The Anerkennung of my Dutch teaching qualification was required, even for the international school. Through the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) I had my first-degree qualification recognized. The process took five months and required translated diplomas, an overview of my subjects and proof of Berufserfahrung (work experience). The recognition was successful, but I had to complete an Anpassungslehrgang (adaptation internship) of six months to also be eligible to teach at German public schools.

Hannover is an underrated city. The Maschsee in the center, the Herrenhäuser Gärten and the Sprengel Museum make it culturally rich. The city is affordable: our three-room apartment in Linden costs €1,050 warm. The Messe (trade fairs) bring international visitors, and the central location makes traveling through Germany easy. Hannoveranians speak the purest Hochdeutsch in Germany — ideal for learning the language.

After two years I sometimes miss Dutch teaching culture — the informal atmosphere, using first names with students. In Germany I'm called "Herr Lehrer" and students expect a formal approach. But the appreciation for the profession is greater, the salary fairer and the workload more manageable. My advice to Dutch teachers: if you want to leave education because you're burned out, don't leave education — move to Germany. The difference in working conditions is enormous.