The EU teacher shortage cannot be resolved through recruitment if schools fail to retain teachers

A study for the European Parliament’s CULT Committee describes the teacher shortage as a structural problem combining a lack of candidates with the departure of already qualified staff. Salaries matter, but retention also depends on workload, contract stability, support for teachers at the beginning of their careers, and opportunities for professional development.

European countries cannot resolve the teacher shortage by focusing only on attracting new candidates, because a significant part of the problem is retaining already qualified teachers in the system, according to a study conducted for the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education.

The analysis describes the teacher shortage as a persistent problem, with causes that vary from country to country and even between regions or subjects within the same system. Salaries are important, but the author also identifies workload, stress, contract stability, the quality of school leadership, mentoring, and career prospects as factors influencing recruitment and retention.

In brief
Most member states face difficulties recruiting and retaining qualified teachers, but the scale of the shortage cannot be measured using a single common indicator.

Staff shortages may be general or concentrated in certain subjects, regions, cities, rural areas, or education levels, making uniform solutions ineffective.

Salaries influence the attractiveness of the profession, but the study also highlights the role of workload, stress, school leadership, professional relationships, and opportunities for career development.

Recruitment through alternative pathways may bring new people into the system, but it does not resolve the shortage if the reasons that drive teachers to leave remain unchanged.

The author recommends competitive salaries, stable funding, limits on excessive workloads, mentoring for newcomers, and better data to anticipate teacher needs.

The problem begins with the very definition of a shortage. Some systems measure vacancies, others the number of teachers without full qualifications, lessons taught by staff outside their area of specialisation, or the difficulty principals face in finding candidates.

For this reason, two countries may have comparable problems without appearing so in administrative statistics. The study warns that European comparisons must be interpreted carefully and that no single indicator fully describes the situation.

A shortage may mean that the system is not training enough teachers, but it may also emerge after qualification, when staff leave the profession or do not remain in schools long enough.

This second component makes retention a problem just as important as recruitment. A campaign that brings more graduates into teaching has limited impact if a significant proportion of them subsequently leave the system.

The study identifies the ageing of the teaching workforce as an additional pressure in many member states. At the same time, the intention to leave the profession is also relevant among younger teachers, meaning that retirement is not the only mechanism through which schools lose staff.

Salaries are one explanation, but the author cautions against an exclusively financial interpretation. The level of remuneration compared with other professions requiring similar qualifications matters, but job satisfaction is also influenced by working conditions.

An excessive number of hours, administrative tasks, stress, and a lack of time for core professional activities can reduce the attractiveness of the job. Relationships with school leadership, colleagues, students, and parents also influence the decision to stay.

Career structure is another factor. If professional advancement means only moving into management positions, teachers who want to remain in the classroom may have few options for professional and salary progression.

The study recommends both vertical career paths and forms of professional development through which experienced teachers can take on responsibilities and receive recognition without abandoning teaching.

For teachers at the beginning of their careers, mentoring and induction are considered important. The author recommends that these activities be included in working time rather than treated as an additional obligation for the mentor or the novice teacher.

Precarious contracts are another problem in some countries. Repeated use of temporary contracts may help fill posts quickly, but it can reduce the attractiveness of the career and the long-term stability of staff.

The study examines different responses in Estonia, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland to show that the same problem may have different causes. Some systems seek to change salaries and career models, while others aim to reduce precariousness or improve regional planning.

The author therefore warns against mechanically copying a solution from one country to another. A shortage concentrated in large cities and driven by the high cost of living requires different measures from a lack of teachers in a rural area or in a particular subject.

Planning is also complicated by data quality. The study says that most member states do not regularly use comprehensive models to anticipate teacher demand and supply, although several countries have developed such tools.

Recommendations at national level include competitive salaries adjusted to the cost of living, incentives for hard-to-fill posts, predictable education funding, limits on excessive workloads, and greater teacher involvement in decisions affecting their profession.

At EU level, the author proposes developing comparable indicators, monitoring teacher mobility between countries, and using European programmes to exchange solutions concerning recruitment, retention, and school governance.

The study does not represent an adopted position of the European Parliament, nor does it turn these recommendations into obligations for countries. Education remains largely a national competence, while the EU’s role is mainly one of coordination, funding, and support for policy exchange.

The report’s conclusion, however, is that the shortage cannot be treated as a one-off recruitment problem. As long as the conditions that lead people to leave the profession remain unchanged, bringing new candidates into the system does not guarantee that schools will have enough qualified teachers in the long term.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/deficitul-de-profesori-din-ue-nu-se-rezolva-prin-recrutare-daca-scolile-nu-reusesc-sa-ii-pastreze