Brussels, 25/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Eurydice European network has published its fourth ad final report on the teaching profession in Europe, considering the situation in thirty countries in Europe. The first three reports analysed the teaching profession in terms of initial training and starting off in the profession, supply and demand, and working conditions and salaries. The last report looks at how the teaching profession is seen by teachers and by society at large, through a series of opinion polls. Eurydice suggests five specific recommendations for making the teaching profession more attractive. In the preface, Commissioner Viviane Reding points out that motivated and highly qualified teachers is a sine qua non for the quality of education provided for young people through education systems. Some of the highlights of the report.
In terms of how the teaching profession is viewed, the report notes that teachers see autonomy in the classroom and the high quality of relations with pupils and colleagues as the main professional advantages. The main problems brought up were working conditions, particularly the complex nature of the huge number of different tasks now imposed on teachers and the increasing workload. Lack of practical training and difficulty in managing awkward teenagers were also brought up. The polls reveal malaise among teachers, who feel their value is not recognised. This feelings stands in contrast with how pupils, parents and the public at large generally view teachers (they tend to have a positive view). Work is needed to rectify the image teachers have of their profession and Eurydice makes suggestions in this connection:
Diversification of training options: Some countries are starting to explore alternative training methods like part-time training, distance learning, and fast-track programmes for people holding professional experience in another sector. The Netherlands and the UK have launched interesting programmes here.
Making initial and further training more coherent: Suitable continued training enables teachers to gradually acquire new skills throughout their career but further training is not attractive to many teachers. It is only a professional requirement in half the countries studied and is not directly linked with moving up the ladder.
Financial incentives in salary policy: To attract people to teaching and keep them there, a balance has to be struck between gaining a high salary relatively quickly and longer-term career prospects. The starting salaries for teachers in the EU15 are largely similar, with greater differences arising further down the line.
Promoting mobility to balance supply: Mobility can be useful for balancing supply and demand, but is closely connected with transfer options and the rights provided. Higher pay arising from seniority and additional training tends to be transferable, but this rarely applies to merit-based rises.
Incentives for experienced teachers to remain in the profession. Research shows that keeping experienced teachers motivated to remain in the profession has become a major challenge as teachers become older. Most countries are experimenting with reforms to restrict early retirement and are considering how to compensate teachers for remaining in the profession. One interesting option could be to reduce teaching hours as one approaches retirement, and acting as a mentor to less experienced teachers is a useful way of making the most of experience.
(The research is available in French and English on Eurydice's website: http: //http://www.eurydice.org : "publications").