According to an OECD study presented in Berlin Wednesday, some 50 percent of teachers in Germany are over 50, significantly older than the European average. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report stressed that this was not necessarily a disadvantage, and that their experience should be respected, but pointed out that in Hamburg, for example, two thirds of teachers only take retirement at the age of 63. The study proposed stripping the teaching profession of its civil servant status. Doris Ahnen (SPD), who chaired Wednesday's conference of education ministers (KMK), said it was important to avoid a drop in teachers' image in order to ensure the profession remains attractive to the younger generation. She also emphasized the need for teachers to take further training courses, a point addressed in the OECD report. The study nonetheless praised the fact that "German schools are open to reform."