In the past, the teaching profession was very prestigious, but over the years, the situation has changed somewhat. There's a lot of talk about the low salaries of teachers. Because of this, many people, even those who have worked in the profession for many years, are considering retraining.
She Wants to Study Education: "But You Won't Earn Anything From It"
On the platform X, a user with the profile name "karme_go_away" admitted that she faces criticism because she wants to pursue a course of study that others believe won't bring her financial benefits in the future.
Why do you want to study education? You won’t earn anything from it! It’s a very tough job that won’t give you anything. Go into IT! Study psychology, or some languages! (...) I know what it entails, my mom works in a preschool, my grandmother worked, I have insight into what this work is like, and I know what I’m getting into. You don’t need to explain to me that it’s not good for me, because it's my choice
- writes the outraged internet user. "I want to study what I like, and no one will change my mind, not even the grumpy old aunts" - she adds.
The Number of Teachers Is Decreasing Every Year
For years, it has been said that the number of teachers is declining. According to the Central Statistical Office, in the 2022/2023 school year, 512,000 teachers were employed across all educational institutions—preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools—calculated in full-time equivalents, which is 3,600 fewer than the previous year.
More and more often, we hear that "old teachers" are returning to schools, meaning those who have already retired.
In the past year, 34,000 teachers aged 51-60 and 25,000 aged 61+ (basically at retirement age) returned to preschools and schools. 60,000 elderly teachers saved the system from collapsing in the 2023/24 school year. The collapse was like a tornado—as of two weeks before the start of the school year, principals were looking for 26,000 teachers (this was the number of official job offers on educational authority websites at that time)
- quotes Robert Górniak (a teacher who runs the profile "Knowledge Dealers") on the Education Zone platform. His research shows that last year, as many as 50,000 retired teachers returned to schools.
Marek Pleśniar, director of the office of the National Association of Education Management Staff, adds that the job market is changing. Young people want to work in places where they have a chance to earn money, develop their skills, and acquire qualifications. - Young people can count. Moreover, they see the lack of a career path, of real development. This profession requires a lot of dedication and work, but why devote yourself to it for such pay and without any prospect of building a career or developing yourself? - said.
