Teacher shortages worry countries across Europe
Teacher shortages are concerning countries across Europe, AFP reports.
France, Germany, Portugal, Sweden and Italy are all facing teacher recruitment troubles amid widespread disaffection within the profession, which has been amplified by COVID.
There will be a shortfall of 25,000 teachers in Germany by 2025 and 30,000 in Portugal by 2030, according to national estimates, while there are currently 4,000 vacant teaching posts in France.
For Eric Charbonnier, an education expert at the OECD, the COVID pandemic gave "visibility" to the teaching profession and highlighted issues around its appeal.
But others have offered different explanations.
Régis Malet, professor of education at the University of Bordeaux, said shortages were due to "the low level of wages, particularly in France, but also the deterioration of working conditions, status and [a] more symbolic dimension strongly felt ... [about a] lack of consideration [and] recognition."
Teaching has changed "from a job with high added social value, prestige, to a form of uncertainty in the mission, loss of meaning and ultimately dissonance between the school and life,” he added.
In France, unprecedented recruitment difficulties led the Ministry of Education to kick back the deadline for applying to be a teacher in the 2023 school year due to a lack of candidates.
French Senator Gérard Longuet presented a report in June which said that, at the European level, the attractiveness of the teaching profession is a "general problem ... whatever the salary level".
Germany, Portugal, Sweden and Italy are also facing mass retirements, which will compound the teacher shortages, says Charbonnier.
At the primary school level, 60% of teachers are over 50 in Italy, 37% in Germany, 42% in
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