More than 13% of primary school teachers in the Czech Republic want to leave the profession, with reasons varying by age, according to an analysis by Jana Strakova and Jaroslava Simonova from the SYRI National Institute.
While low pay is a key factor for younger teachers to leave the profession, other factors are decisive for older ones, according to the study.
The researchers point out that sufficient financial remuneration, the composition of students in classes, pedagogical leadership and the innovative character of the school are important factors to retain teachers in the profession.
On average, salaries have risen faster for teachers than for other workers in the Czech Republic over the past three years, but the researchers said that the pay increase mainly affected older teachers. The data show that teachers over 55 are paid 25% more than teachers under 35.
“Czech education policy should therefore focus not only on general salary rises for teachers, but also on adjusting these increases over the course of a teaching career. Starting salaries can be important for keeping young people in the profession, while other factors influence decisions later in their careers,” Strakova noted.
In the study, published in the International Journal of Educational Management, the SYRI researchers highlighted the importance of leadership: the ability and skills to lead, motivate and inspire others to achieve a common goal.
“In the schools where the principals support their teachers and care about their professional development, teachers are more likely to stay than in those where the leadership does not perform this function,” said Strakova.
The satisfaction of the teaching staff depends on the quality of the principal, which is reflected in how teachers perceive their profession. However, this poses a problem, because the Czech education system is characterised by an unusually high degree of school autonomy, and as a result, principals have little time to manage education, and in many cases do not even consider it their primary task, Strakova added.
“The importance of leadership in retaining teachers in the profession is crucial for changing the view of the role of the principal. This was clearly demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers who felt supported by school leadership were more satisfied with their jobs and less likely to leave it,” Strakova said. She added that the decision to stay in the profession was further made conditional on the proportion of socially and economically disadvantaged pupils.
The intention to leave is also higher in schools with more equipment shortages and with lower levels of innovation, according to the researchers. “The less innovative, and therefore more rigid the school is, the higher the tendency (of teachers) to leave the profession,” Strakova said.
