Oecd: 'Hands off teacher salaries'
The corona pandemic is putting pressure on the economies of many countries. But policymakers should not be too quick to decide to cut back on teachers' salaries. That is what the Oeso, the club of rich industrial countries, states in the annual Education at a Glance that was published today.
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Teachers' salaries have a direct impact on the attractiveness of the profession. They influence the decision to become a teacher, the decision to return to the teaching profession and the decision whether or not to remain a teacher, 'writes the OECD. 'The higher the salary, the fewer people leave the profession.'
In times of economic crisis, salaries in the public sector are under pressure in all countries. The corona pandemic also threatens to cut salaries. It will be a challenge for policymakers to keep teacher salaries - and thus the attractiveness of the teaching profession and the quality of education - in line with the budget. The always cautious Oeso writes that in Education at a Glance 2020 in a verbiage that cannot be explained otherwise than: do not cut back too quickly on teachers' salaries.
A Dutch primary school teacher earns only 77 percent of the salary of an employee outside education
In terms of salaries, the Netherlands is already below the average internationally. In most of the countries studied by the OECD, teachers earn less than other higher educated people. Internationally, a teacher receives about 89 percent of what employees with a comparable level of education earn outside of education. Dutch teachers (and school leaders) in primary education are well below this with 77 percent. Their colleagues in secondary education score with 89 percent - and therefore a salary gap of 11 percent on employees outside of education - exactly on average internationally.
Class size
The Netherlands also contrasts negatively with other European countries in terms of class size. In primary education in the Netherlands the group size is on average 23 pupils, against an EU average of 20. And in secondary education, teachers teach more than in many other countries: 720 hours against an international average of 663 hours.
