- European teacher salaries are declining, with recruitment in England reaching only half its target in 2023/24.
- The OECD report shows teacher salaries dropped in 10 out of 22 countries between 2015 and 2023.
- The education sector also faces challenges related to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with a 71% rise in pupils with EHCPs between 2018 and 2024.
- Despite financial pressures and increasing needs of special education students, the future of education in Europe depends on effective solutions to these challenges.
The European education sector has been grappling with a significant issue in recent years – a decline in teacher salaries when adjusted for inflation. This trend has been observed in many European countries, including England, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Finland. The National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) report revealed that secondary classroom teacher recruitment in 2023/24 reached only half of its target in England. Despite teaching being ranked as the best job in the UK for 2025 in hiring firm Indeed’s job postings, the shortage of teachers remains a widespread issue across the European Union (EU).
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Education at a Glance 2024 report highlighted that among 22 countries and regions, the statutory salaries of lower secondary teachers in real terms declined in 10 of them between 2015 and 2023. Luxembourg experienced the sharpest decline, with teacher salaries dropping by 11% during this period. Greece and Ireland, Finland, and Italy also saw significant decreases of 9% and 6% respectively. England, Portugal, and Hungary also experienced declines in teacher salaries.
The Impact of Declining Teacher Salaries
On the other hand, Turkey recorded the highest increase, with teacher salaries rising by 31%. Czechia followed with a 16% increase, and Scotland saw a 12% rise, making them the only regions with increases exceeding 10%. The average increase in the EU-25 was 4%, while it was lower in some of the EU’s top economies, such as Spain (2%) and Germany and Italy (1%).
The decline in teacher salaries has been attributed to multiple factors, including economic conditions, government policies, and societal attitudes towards the teaching profession. However, the impact of this trend extends beyond the teaching profession. It affects the quality of education, student outcomes, and the overall health of the education system.
Challenges in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
In addition to the teacher salary issue, the education sector is also facing challenges related to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The number of school pupils with EHCPs has risen by 180,000 or 71% between 2018 and 2024. As a result, nearly 5% of pupils now have EHCPs. This rise in pupils with EHCPs has been driven by three specific types of needs: autistic spectrum disorder (ASD); social, emotional and mental health needs (including ADHD); and speech, language and communication needs.
The financial aspect of the education sector is also a significant concern. The public sector, which includes education, employs 5.9 million people in the UK, at an annual cost of £270 billion in 2023–24. This includes salaries, employer pension contributions, and employer National Insurance contributions. The employment, pay, and productivity of these employees are therefore an important determinant of the material standard of living of millions of families, as well as a crucial input into the provision of public services.
Higher Education Finances Amid Challenges
In the realm of higher education, the finances of higher education providers have fared unexpectedly well in recent years. International student recruitment did not collapse during the COVID-19 pandemic and has actually expanded substantially beyond research-intensive universities, bringing in additional tuition fee income. However, the storm clouds are now gathering. Undergraduate fees for domestic students remain frozen in nominal terms even as universities’ costs have risen. New restrictions on student visas and uncertainty about future immigration policy mean that institutions can no longer rely on an ever-greater number of international students to make up for falling funding for domestic ones.