By Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills
In many OECD countries, the ageing of the teaching workforce is a growing concern. A significant proportion of educators are nearing retirement age, which threatens to create staff shortages. For example, lower secondary teachers in Latvia, Lithuania and Portugal are over 50 years old, on average, according to data from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). In contrast, the OECD average is 45. This demographic trend puts pressure on these education systems to hire younger teachers and to ensure they receive enough support to maintain teaching standards. But some of these countries are also struggling with high numbers of young teachers quitting. What can be done in those contexts to ensure young teachers stay in the classroom?
TALIS data suggest some countries are finding better policy solutions than others. Fewer than 10% of teachers under the age of 30 intend to leave teaching in the next five years in Azerbaijan, Italy, Spain and Sweden (countries where the average age of teachers is at least 45 years old). This share is half the OECD average and four times less than the percentage who want to leave in Latvia (53%), Lithuania (50%) and Estonia (49%).
There is no magic bullet and one-size-fits all solution but countries can take inspiration from each other. In Italy, for example, where the average teacher is 48 years old, policymakers have begun to make strides in retaining younger teaching talent. Reforms have focused on improving job stability by offering clearer career progression and merit-based components to teachers’ salaries. Compulsory professional development opportunities have also helped new teachers build confidence and competence early on. Italy is one of only a handful of countries that have seen a decrease in the average teacher age in lower secondary schools.
Iceland, where the average age of teachers is 46, is another country where policymakers recognised they faced a looming teacher shortage, particularly in rural and remote areas. Enrolment in teacher education had declined with just 165 new teachers graduating in 2019. A five-year initiative to tackle the issue included streamlining teacher education with a flexible master’s programme, easing hiring rules, and boosting financial support for student teachers through paid placements and graduation grants. Since then, Iceland has seen a 160% increase in teacher graduations compared to the previous five-year average – with 454 teachers graduating in 2022.
These initiatives show that targeted actions can make a difference. In contrast, the Baltic states have struggled to find an effective response. They face the twin challenges of an ageing teacher population and vast numbers of early-career teachers planning to leave the profession. Low pay and limited support contribute to this situation. The three Baltic countries also have the lowest share of male teachers in the world.
Part of the issue might also be that teachers do not feel valued by society. In Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania only around 20% of lower secondary teachers believe the teaching profession is valued. TALIS data show that teachers who do not feel valued are more likely to consider quitting. In addition, younger generations are increasingly less likely to stay in one profession throughout their working lives. This is partly driven by digitalisation, giving people more flexible career options, including greater opportunities for remote and freelance work. This trend affects all professions, including teachers.
This is not necessarily a bad development. Turnover can introduce fresh ideas. It also naturally filters out teachers who may lack motivation, improving overall teaching quality. But schools need to rethink how they attract and retain high-quality teachers. Improving professional development opportunities for mid-career teachers is a no-brainer. Providing clearer advancements is likely more sustainable than endlessly recruiting replacement teachers. Education leaders should also develop policies that encourage people in other careers to take up teaching. Iceland, for example, has the highest share of second career teachers in the world – people who became teachers after a significant amount of time in a different job. Flexible teaching options could be a benefit here, such as guest-lecturing. This would help attract professionals who wish to contribute but who cannot fully commit to a traditional teaching schedule.
Flexibility for the existing workforce is also an important issue. Around half of teachers, on average, say working hours that fit with family responsibilities is of “high importance”, according to TALIS. Remote teaching could potentially help here. At the moment, around 16% of teachers work in schools where at least some lessons are delivered online or in hybrid format, on average. This indicates a gradual but notable shift towards remote teaching practices. For example, Singapore offers home-based learning for secondary and pre-university students about twice a month. This aims to nurture self-discipline in students and allows teachers to work remotely while virtually monitoring students.
However, while this may improve educational access and flexibility, it also introduces complex challenges. Many teachers lack formal training in online teaching, from digital classroom management to the use of virtual tools, so countries need to support teachers in this area. Some countries have already moved in this direction. For example, Germany, Italy, New Zealand* and the French and Flemish Communities of Belgium all have specific central strategies on digital education to ensure it is effective.
Ultimately, education leaders must not bury their heads in the sand and simply hope schools will be able to hire new teachers when required. This is a policy matter, and policymakers need to act. If they do not, some education systems risk chronic teacher shortages, which will stretch resources and harm students’ academic development and prospects.
This is part of a series of blogs focused on results from the OECD’s Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024: The State of Teaching. TALIS is the world’s largest international survey about teachers and school leaders. Conducted by the OECD, in 2024 it sampled about 280 000 lower secondary teachers in 17 000 schools across 55 education systems. Lower secondary teachers typically teach students up until their mid-teens. The series of blogs are based on chapters in the TALIS 2024 Insights and Interpretations brochure.
