Brussels, 25/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - Most member states today have programmes for providing support and advice to teachers, the European Commission states. On 24 April, a new report, Key Data on Teachers and School Leaders, was published. It was drafted by Eurydice and relates to the working conditions of teachers and heads of schools in 32 countries (including the 27 EU member states). Androulla Vassiliou, the European commissioner for education, culture, youth and multilingualism, said: “I urge all member states to improve training and support for teachers so that they can fully develop their competences throughout their careers and ensure high quality and innovative teaching to equip young people with the skills they need for modern life”.
The report points out that: 1) Most EU countries have defined the skills that teachers must possess to get a job and to progress within the profession. These include pedagogical knowledge, team working, interpersonal skills and professional skills. These “competence frameworks” are the basis for initial teacher education in all but eight countries and regions (Belgium -German-speaking community, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Slovakia). 2) Most of Europe's five million teachers are contractually bound to work at least 35-40 hours a week (which includes teaching time, availability on school premises and time for preparation and marking). The number of hours that they have to be actively engaged in teaching varies widely. It is generally higher in pre-primary education and decreases at higher levels of education. 3) Most teachers are over the age of 40. Nearly half are aged over 50 in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Norway and Iceland. The percentage of teachers below the age of 30 is particularly low in Germany, Italy and Sweden. 4) In most EU member states, minimum basic salaries for teachers working in compulsory education (primary and lower secondary education) are lower than per capita GDP. Allowances, which can make a considerable difference to a teacher's take-home pay, are usually for overtime or additional responsibilities. 5) Initiation programmes that provide personalised support and advice to beginner teachers are now compulsory in 15 EU member states (Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the United Kingdom), as well as in Croatia and Turkey.
The report provides valuable information on the situation of teachers at a time when the Commission is particularly attentive to the quality of education in the EU. The Commission's “Rethinking Education Strategy” underlines the importance of attracting better applicants to teaching posts, while the high-level group on modernisation of higher education set in place by the Commission seeks to find solutions that will provide member states with incentives to improve the quality of their education systems. (IL/transl.jl)