Israeli Teachers' Status Better Than Perceived, OECD Report Shows

A recent OECD report on education reveals that while Israeli teachers' salaries have fallen in international rankings, their overall professional status is surprisingly strong compared to many other developed nations. The report, published this week, indicates a significant increase in the number of teachers in Israel, growing 7.5 times faster than the OECD average, and a lower-than-average rate of teachers leaving the profession.

Despite a rise in teacher salaries, the gap between their earnings and those of other university-educated professionals in Israel has nearly doubled since 2022. In 2023, Israeli elementary school teachers earned 73% of what other professionals with higher education made, compared to an OECD average of 87%. This places Israel fifth from the bottom among 26 countries surveyed, a situation partly attributed to the high number of well-paid tech sector workers in Israel.

Between 2015 and 2024, the number of full-time equivalent elementary school teachers in Israel increased by 97%, far exceeding the 18% rise in student numbers and the OECD average of 13%. This growth rate is the highest among OECD countries. However, a shortage persists, attributed to excessive teaching hours and a concentration of deficits in the secular state education system.

Teacher attrition in Israel is also lower than the OECD average. In the 2024/25 academic year, only 2.5% of qualified teachers left the profession, compared to the OECD average of 6.4%. Notably, two-thirds of those leaving retired, with only one-third quitting voluntarily. The primary concern is that 77% of those who left voluntarily had less than five years of experience, suggesting a problem retaining new teachers, possibly due to a large salary gap between novice and experienced educators.

The report also highlights that Israel has a lower percentage of unqualified teachers than the OECD average, with 7.1% lacking full professional qualifications. Furthermore, 12.1% of secondary school teachers transitioned from other professions, a higher rate than the OECD average of 8.4%. While 83.8% of Israeli teachers are satisfied with their jobs, this is lower than the satisfaction rate among other university-educated professionals (91.2%). Teachers work fewer hours per week than other professionals, but only 33.9% are satisfied with their salaries.

Regarding public perception, approximately 70% of Israeli teachers feel their profession is undervalued, which, while high, is lower than the OECD average of 78%. This places Israel sixth among countries with the highest sense of public recognition for teaching.