Education crisis: Ukraine will soon lack more than 100 thousand teachers
15 November 2024 08:51
Ukraine already lacks several tens of thousands of school teachers. By 2030, the Ukrainian education system may lack more than 100,000 educators. This is stated in the report “Teachers of Ukraine: Human Resources Potential“, prepared by the Fama Research Agency at the request of the Osvitoria Public Union, which, in particular, contains an analysis of the prospects for the education sector, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The study shows that in the coming years, the country may lack tens of thousands of teachers, especially in the frontline and rural regions.
The number of teachers is decreasing from year to year. For example, in 2018, there were 337.5 thousand teachers in Ukrainian schools, while in 2023 there were 282.1 thousand. The most significant losses in the teaching staff occurred with the beginning of the full-scale invasion: over the past two years, it has decreased by 12% (39.8 thousand). Luhansk, Kherson, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions lost the largest share of teachers.
According to experts, there is currently a shortage of about 14,200 primary school teachers in urban areas to ensure that classes meet the regulatory requirements for class size (24 students in primary school and 30 in middle and high school). However, in reality, the average class size is much smaller: in urban primary schools, there are 22.1 students on average, while in rural areas there are only 13.4 students.
Low enrollment increases the need for teaching staff. According to researchers, there is currently a shortage of about 19,000 primary school teachers in Ukrainian cities and about 11,100 in rural areas. As for science teachers, there is a shortage of about 4,400 in cities and 0,100 in rural areas. The shortage of math teachers is 2,000 in urban areas and 1,400 in rural areas.
The greatest demand for teachers is recorded in the frontline regions of Dnipropetrovska, Kharkiv, Zaporizka, Odesa and Mykolaiv.
The workload on teachers is growing
The reduction in the number of teachers in Ukrainian schools is putting a significant burden on those who remain in the education system. According to the study, in the 2023-2024 school year, the average student-to-teacher ratio increased to 13.7 (compared to 11.8 in 2018-2019).
For comparison, in the European Union, this figure is lower: according to the OECD, in 2021, the student-teacher ratio was 12.4 in Finland, 12.6 in Germany, and 11.9 in Japan at the secondary and vocational education levels.
Although the number of students in Ukraine has decreased by 8% over the past two years, the workload of teachers in the frontline regions remains high. Among the most vulnerable regions are Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kherson, and Kyiv, where the largest outflow of teachers is observed due to the difficult socio-political situation.
Staff shortage in the future
Forecasts show that the problem of teacher shortages will continue to grow. Even if we assume a stable level of classroom occupancy, there may be a shortage of up to 366,000 teachers by 2030.
If class sizes meet the regulatory requirements, the need for teachers will decrease, but will still remain critical, reaching a shortage of 108,300 teachers.
Most teachers point to low salaries as one of the main reasons for demotivation. Only 12% of teachers are satisfied with their salaries. Only 47% of teachers are satisfied with their work. At the same time, 94% are in favor of reducing the bureaucratic burden.
At the same time, the vast majority – 80% of teachers – feel that society does not value their work.
According to the study, there is a great demand for professional development among teachers. In particular, 73% want to improve their English. And 58% said they need to improve their first aid knowledge.
In addition, 43% of teachers want to improve their knowledge of the Ukrainian language. At the same time, nine out of ten avoid using Russian, even in cases where it could help explain the material more accurately.
According to the Institute of Educational Analytics, as of the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, almost 393,000 teachers worked in Ukrainian educational institutions, of whom more than 282,000 were involved in teaching children.
As a reminder, starting January 1, 2025, teachers will receive a monthly salary supplement of one thousand hryvnias. And starting from September 1, 2025, this supplement will be increased to two thousand hryvnias.
