Most countries are facing a shortage of teachers which is expected to get worse because 25 percent of the profession in high schools are over 55.
An OECD education snapshot released this week said recruitment challenges were particularly acute in mathematics and science.
There were also problems finding teachers to work in rural, remote and disadvantaged communities.
OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said an aging teaching workforce was set to add to these pressures in the years ahead, with one in four secondary teachers aged 55 or older.
“Today, it is getting harder to recruit, retain and deploy qualified teachers where they are most needed,” Mr Cormann said.
“School systems need to plan ahead, retain teachers already in the system, and grow the teacher pipeline while maintaining standards.”
Among the 16 countries and economies with available data, 11 reported shortages of fully qualified mathematics and science teachers at secondary level in 2024-25.
On average across the OECD countries, teachers earn between 87 percent and 95 percent of the earnings of other tertiary-educated workers.
Starting salaries for lower secondary teachers average 61 percent of the earnings of similarly educated workers.
“Manageable workloads, professional autonomy, effective school leadership, career development and public recognition also shape the attractiveness of teaching,” the OECD snapshot said.
“Teacher shortages also reflect broader shortages of skilled workers across the economy, with education systems competing with other sectors for highly qualified staff.”
Across the OECD, the number of children aged 5-14 is projected to fall by nine percent between 2024 and 2033.
This decline will be uneven across communities, but the decline allowed governments to redirect teachers and resources to the schools, subjects and communities where shortages are most acute.
The full snapshot is here.
