Teacher exodus: How satisfied are EU educators facing growing challenges?
A Growing Concern: Young Teachers Leaving the Profession
Across the globe, a growing number of young teachers are considering leaving the profession within the next five years. According to the OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS), teachers under the age of 30 were more likely to want to leave their roles than those between the ages of 30 and 49 in 2024. This survey collected data from over 280,000 teachers and school leaders at 17,000 lower secondary schools across 55 education systems, including 23 EU countries.
The findings reveal that in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, more than four in 10 teachers below the age of 30 express a desire to leave the profession. The most common reasons cited by these younger educators include personal or family reasons (46%), seeking a job outside of education (46%), and pursuing further education or training (42%).
An Aging Workforce and the Need for Change
The average age of OECD teachers is around 45 years old, while more than half of teachers are 50 or older in several countries, including Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, and Portugal. This aging workforce presents a significant challenge, as many of these educators will reach retirement age within the next 10 to 15 years. As a result, education systems may face a severe shortage of qualified teachers unless action is taken.
To address this issue, many governments are turning to recruitment strategies that bring in teachers from other sectors. For example, Bulgaria saw a 13% increase between 2018 and 2024 in the number of lower secondary teachers who had previous work experience in non-teaching roles. In contrast, France was the only education system to see a decrease, with the percentage of such teachers dropping from 21% in 2018 to 17% in 2024.
The Role of Salary in Teacher Retention
Salary plays a crucial role in both attracting and retaining teachers. Teachers who are satisfied with their pay are, on average, 25% less likely to leave the profession. In certain regions, such as Austria, the Flemish and French-speaking communities of Belgium, Bulgaria, and Denmark, more than three in five teachers report that their salary is sufficient. However, in countries like Malta and Portugal, fewer than one in five teachers feel the same.
Teachers’ perceptions of how valued they feel by policymakers are closely linked to their satisfaction with salaries. In countries such as Croatia, Estonia, France, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain, fewer than one in 10 teachers believe their views are valued by policymakers. On the other hand, lower secondary teachers in 10 EU countries reported an increase in how much they believe society values their profession between 2018 and 2024.
Additional Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction
Beyond salary, teachers find satisfaction in various aspects of their profession. These include benefits, work schedules, personal motivations, and job security. While financial compensation remains a key factor, the broader environment in which teachers operate also significantly impacts their decision to stay or leave the field.
As the education sector continues to grapple with the challenges of an aging workforce and high turnover rates among younger teachers, addressing these factors will be essential in ensuring a sustainable and motivated teaching force for the future.
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