A global study of teachers has found the vast majority are satisfied with their jobs, while Australia is fast-tracking mature-aged teachers at world-leading rates.
The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) gathered the views of 280,000 teachers and school leaders, from 17,000 lower secondary schools across 55 education systems, including Australia.
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said nine in 10 teachers reported being satisfied with their jobs overall.
Secretary-General Cormann said almost three-quarters would choose to work as a teacher again, while almost 95 percent of teachers surveyed said they often felt happy while teaching.
“Skilled teachers are the foundation for high-performing education systems,” he said.
“By continuing to strengthen teacher training and the tools available to them, we can ensure that students are well-prepared for a bright future in our evolving economies and societies.”
Secretary-General Cormann said 95 percent of teachers said the opportunity to make a worthwhile social contribution was important to them.
He said ageing populations and migration patterns had changed the demography of teachers in many education systems.
“The average age of teachers across the OECD is now 45 and 50 or above in Latvia, Lithuania and Portugal.”
Secretary-General Cormann said, in response, many governments were recruiting teachers from other sectors to ensure a sustainable supply of qualified educators.
He said second career teachers now made up 21 percent of the total teaching population in Iceland and 17 percent in Australia.
“These systems have also made it easier for mid-career professionals to enter teaching. Roughly 47 percent of teachers in Australia and 27 percent of teachers in Iceland completed fast-track or specialised teaching training programs.”
Access The State of Teaching report.
