Why teachers’ pay matter?

It’s been a year and a half since education in schools and universities worldwide have shifted from on-site learning to distance learning due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. This change in education style has created a new challenge for teachers and increased their burden with the extra workload as they have to adapt to the recent shift in education style, as well as constantly change their education mode to ensure that students get the best education quality, and keep them motivated.[1]

 

 

A new report from OECD’s Education At A Glance 2021 shows that teachers’ salaries vary hugely in different countries. Generally, teachers’ salaries increase with the level of education they teach and the years of experience. Still, the OECD report showed a shocking fact: teachers in OECD countries, on average,  earn 81-96% of the salaries of tertiary-educated workers, as the highest salary is paid in Luxemburg (around $109,000 and more) and the lowest is paid in Slovak Republic, Latvia, Hungary, Costa Rica, and Brazil (around $19,000).

 

 

Now here comes the question: Why does teachers’ pay matter? UN’s fourth Sustainable Development Goal and OECD’s Education At A Glance 2021 report shows the strong relationship between high salary and providing the best/high quality of education, as this leads to “close learning gaps and ensure every child has access to a quality education.”

 

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020 predicts that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced. The new division of labour between humans, machines, and algorithms may emerge – and this is where key ‘human’ soft skills like problem-solving will be critical, as teachers will play a huge role in promoting these new skills.

 

[1] Retrieved on 27th of December 2021, from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/teachers-pay-countries-salaries-education/

By Zinat Asadova

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