Teachers are a valuable resource in every country around the world, they enrich young minds, help them grow, learn and develop their interests. Teachers in South Africa often move away to find opportunities outside of the country so they can earn a better living.
A 2018 Global Teacher Status Index released by the Varkey Foundation and the University of Sussex, shares insight into how 35 different countries rank according to what they pay their educators, as well as how much they respect them.
Key findings include:
- Countries such as China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia rank higher for respecting reachers than all other European countries
- Since 2013 China has held the top spot on the index while Brazil and Israel have stayed at the bottom
- Since 2013 Japan and Switzerland have increased by more than 20 on the index and Greece has dropped by 25. Teacher status un the UK has grown by 10.
Below are the top 10 highest ranking countries on the index:
South Africa failed to make the list of global ranking, most likely due to the vast difference of pay. Salaries vary depending on what provinces teachers work in.
According to Payscale.com, their income differs according to public or private schools, and the province they work in. On average, salaries start at R10 000 and increase to R16 000 – depending on experience.
A teacher at a public school in Johannesburg said, “The entry level income for teachers in this province is R23 000. Teachers in Durban definitely make less than those in Johannesburg, and Cape Town is probably in the middle of the two.”
There is a general sense of unhappiness among South African teachers and their eagerness to find work elsewhere can’t be denied. A post on our website, New Zealand is offering SA teachers a chance to work there in the new year was filled with queries from teachers wanting to relocate.
The Global Teacher Status Index also focused on what occupations are considered most similar to teaching in each country, these are the top 10 results:
Some other interesting findings were:
- There is a huge diversity across countries
- Older people generally respect teachers more
- Graduates respect teachers more than non-graduates
- Men respect teachers more than women
- Parents respect teachers more than those without children and ethnic minorities tend to respect teachers less
- Those of Islamic faith respect teachers more.
This article was written by Aimee Pace and sourced from CapeTown Etc.; the original publication can be viewed here.
