Teaching careers in Europe : access, progression and support.
Date: 2019-09-12
Institutions: European Education and Culture Executive Agency
Subjects: employment policy, job mobility, professional career, recruitment, staff regulations, teacher, teacher training, working conditions

What is Eurydice? 

The role of the Eurydice network is to 

understand and explain how Europe's 

different education systems are orga-

nised  and  how  they  work.  The  net-

work provides descriptions of national 

education 

systems, 

comparative 

studies  devoted  to  specific  topics, 

indicators  and  statistics.  Through  its 

work,  Eurydice  aims  to  promote 

understanding, cooperation, trust and 

mobility  at  European  and  interna-

tional  levels.  The  network  consists  of 

national  units  located  in  European 

countries  and  is  co-ordinated  by  the 

EU 

Education,  Audiovisual 

and 

Culture 

Executive 

Agency. 

All 

Eurydice  publications  are  available 

free  of  charge  on 

the  Eurydice 

website  or  in  print  upon  request.  For 

more information about Eurydice, see 
http://ec.europa.eu/eurydice  

The full report 

Teaching Careers in Europe: 
Access, Progression and 
Support is available in English 
on the Eurydice website 

http://ec.europa.eu/eurydice  

Printed copies of the report  

are available upon request at:  
eacea-eurydice@ec.europa.eu  

Contact 

Wim Vansteenkiste,  
Communication and 
Publications:  
+32 2 299 50 58 

Eurydice Highlights 

Teaching Careers in Europe:  
Access, Progression and Support 

is  becoming 
The  role  of  teachers 
increasingly 
important  as  Europe 
addresses  its  educational,  social  and 
economic  challenges.  Higher  expec-
tations  in  terms  of  student  outcomes 
and  greater  pressures  due  to  a  more 
diverse  student  population  combined 
with rapid technological innovation are 
having  a  profound 
impact  on  the 
teaching profession.  

The  Eurydice  Teaching  Careers 
in 
Europe:  Access,  Progression  and  Sup-
port  report  contributes  to  the  body  of 
evidence  that  can  guide  policy-making 
in  providing  effective  support  for 
teachers,  enhance  their  professiona-
lism and raise their status. 

The  report  illustrates  the  main  challenges  at  national  level  in  teacher  supply  and 
demand and the ways education systems address them through forward planning. 
It  explores  the  requirements  to  become  a  teacher,  recruitment  and  employment 
conditions,  as  well  as  prospects  for  professional  development  and  support.  It  sets 
out  career  development  opportunities  for  teachers,  both  in  terms  of  hierarchical 
progression  and  diversification  of  tasks,  as  well  as  the  situation  concerning  the 
definition and use of teacher competence frameworks. The report also analyses the 
roles and functioning of teacher appraisal.  

The report focuses on schools at primary and general secondary level. It covers all 
the countries of the European Union as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the 
Former  Yugoslav  Republic  of  Macedonia,  Switzerland,  Iceland,  Liechtenstein, 
Montenegro, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. 

These ‘Eurydice Highlights’ provide a snapshot of some of the main findings of the 
report. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2 

Main challenges in teacher supply and demand 

Shortage in some subjects 

Shortage in some geographical areas 

Ageing teacher population 

Oversupply 

Shortage of students enrolling in ITE 

High drop-out rates from the profession 

High drop-out rates from ITE 

Main challenges in teacher supply and demand reported by education systems. 
Primary and/or general secondary education (ISCED 1-3), 2016/17 

Education  systems  tend  to  face  similar  and  often 
overlapping  challenges  in  terms  of  teacher  supply  and 
demand. Most countries report that shortages of teachers 
and  an  ageing  teacher  population  are  at  the  top  of  the 
list.  Other  challenges  include  oversupply,  shortages  of 
students  enrolling  in  initial  teacher  education  (ITE)  and 
teachers  leaving  the  profession.  While  some  stem  from 
an  unbalanced  distribution  of  teachers  across  subjects 
and/or geographical areas, most are related to the more 
general issue of the attractiveness of the profession.  

Specific forward planning for the teaching profession is a 
way of dealing with the existing challenges and is carried 
out in the majority of countries. However, many countries 
carry  out  forward  planning  on  a  yearly  basis  only,  while 
others  have  more  long-term  plans,  which  can  be  better 
suited  for  addressing  structural  problems.  Furthermore, 
despite  the  fact  that  shortages  are  the  most  common 
challenge, the use of incentives to attract students to the 
teaching profession or to specific subjects is still rare. 

How to qualify and be recruited as a teacher 

The main route to becoming a teacher commonly 
starts  with  the  completion  of  initial  teacher 
education  (ITE).  In  almost  half  of  the  education 
systems, teachers are fully qualified at the end of 
ITE. In the remaining 23 systems, additional steps 
are  required.  In  six  countries,  teachers  need  to 
succeed  in  a  competitive  examination,  and  in 
17 education  systems  ITE  graduates  have  to 
prove their capacity to teach through a process of 
accreditation,  certification, 
registration  or  a 
national examination. 

One  third  of  education  systems  offer  alternative 
ways  to  qualify  as  a  teacher.  They  are  usually 
organised either as short professional-oriented or 
employment-based programmes. 

Successful graduation  
from ITE is the only  
requirement 

Success in a competitive 
examination is required in 
addition to completion of ITE 

Confirmation of professional 
competency is required after 
completion of ITE 
(AT => ISCED 2-3 only) 

Official requirements for becoming a fully qualified teacher.  
Primary and general secondary education (ISCED 1-3), 2016/17 

Almost  three  quarters  of  education  systems 
favour  an  open  recruitment  system,  thus  decentralising  this  process  and  allowing  schools  or  local  authorities 
autonomy in appointing their own teachers.  

In the remaining countries, the education authorities play a role in the recruitment process. They can assign teachers 
to a school according to the results of a central competitive examination, and/or they can rank teachers on the basis 
of defined criteria.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3 

Multi-level career structure  
(AT => ISCED 3 only) 

Flat career structure 

No top-level regulations 

Career development prospects 

There  are  two  main  types  of  career  structures 
in  teaching:  flat  (single-level)  and  hierarchical 
(multi-level).  Half  of  the  education  systems 
organise  their  career  structures  hierarchically 
in  formal  ascending  career  levels,  usually 
denoting  a  greater  complexity  of  tasks  and 
responsibility.  In  most  education  systems  with 
a  multi-level  career  structure,  the  school  ma-
nagement is involved in the decision-making on 
in  certain  education 
promotions, 
systems  these  decisions  are  fully  centralised 
and  are  made  by  the  top-level  education 
authority.  Teachers  generally  receive  a  salary 
raise  as  they  move  to  a  higher  level  in  the 
career structure, except in Estonia and Serbia. 

though 

Types of career structure for fully qualified teachers as defined by the top-level education 
authority. Primary and general secondary education (ISCED 1-3), 2016/17 

In  all  countries  except  Turkey,  teachers  have 
opportunities to diversify their tasks and to be assigned additional responsibilities besides their teaching activities. 
This diversification of responsibilities can for example include taking on mentoring, pedagogical, methodological, or 
management  roles.  In  the  education  systems  with  a  multi-level  career  structure,  some  of  the  additional 
responsibilities are related to specific career levels.  

Teacher Competence Framework 

Initial teacher education 

Number of education systems 

Continuing  
professional development 

Teacher appraisal 

Different uses of the teacher competence frameworks issued by top-level authorities.  
Primary and general secondary education (ISCED 1-3), 2016/17 

Thirty-two  education  systems  have 
developed  a 
competence 
teacher 
framework  to  varying  degrees.  While 
seven  countries  only  define  areas  of 
competences, others provide details on 
related skills, knowledge and attitudes. 
Only  four  education  systems  have 
defined  teacher  competences at  diffe-
rent stages of their career (the Flemish 
Community of Belgium, Estonia, Latvia 
and the United Kingdom (Scotland)). 

The use of the teacher competence framework also varies. For many countries it is mainly an instrument to define 
which  competences  teachers  should  master  at  the  end  of  initial  teacher  education,  while  for  others  it  is  used  at 
different stages of the teaching career. Thirteen of the education systems with teacher competence frameworks use 
them both for initial teacher education and continuing professional development, thus denoting a trend to use them 
throughout the teaching career. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4 

Continuing professional development and support 

Continuing  professional  development  (CPD)  is  strongly 
encouraged  in  European  countries.  In  the  large  majority 
of  education  systems,  CPD  is  considered  a  professional 
duty and, often, teachers have the obligation to complete 
a  minimum  number  of  hours  per  year.  Countries  have 
developed  different  incentives  and  supporting  measures 
to  encourage  participation  such  as  free  courses,  the 
possibility  to  take  part  during  working  hours,  salary 
increases and promotion.  

Schools  tend  to  be  involved  to  varying  degrees  in  the 
definition  of  CPD  needs  and  priorities,  which  can  help 
CPD  providers  to  better  respond  to  teachers'  specific 
demands.  

Linked to promotion or  
salary progression  

Mandatory  
participation  

Schools involved in defining 
needs and priorities  

During 
working hours  

Measures and incentives to encourage teacher engagement in continuing 
professional development and number of education systems providing 
them. Primary and general secondary education (ISCED 1-3), 2016/17 

Additional supporting measures for developing and improving professional practice are available to teachers in most 
European  countries.  This  support  may  be  provided  in  schools  by  professional  specialists,  qualified  teachers  or  the 
school heads. Specialist support for dealing with other challenges such as personal issues, interpersonal conflicts or 
teaching pupils with general learning difficulties is also widespread across Europe. 

Teacher appraisal 

Regular monitoring 
(IE => ISCED 1 only) 

Occasional monitoring  

No monitoring 

No teacher appraisal 

Monitoring of the appraisal system for teachers in primary and general secondary  
education (ISCED 1-3) by the top-level education authority, 2016/17 

Most  countries  have  regulations  on  teacher 
appraisal.  Nevertheless,  many  countries  do  not 
monitor how the system works.  

Appraisal  for  serving  teachers 
is  common 
practice across Europe and is usually applicable 
to  all  teachers,  although  it  is  not  always  a 
regular  exercise.  Its  frequency  is  not  set  down 
in regulations in eight countries, it is a local or 
school  decision  in  another  six  and  practice 
varies greatly in the others. 

While  appraisal  is  used  for  a  number  of 
reasons,  such  as  providing  teachers  with 
feedback  or  deciding  on  promotion  and  salary 
progression,  it  is  not  systematically  used  to 
review professional development needs. 

School leaders are often involved in appraising teachers but only one third of the education systems have mandatory 
training  in  this  area.  In  11 education systems  training  is  optional  and in  another half  of  the  systems  there  are no 
training programmes for school leaders on appraisal.  

The full report Teaching Careers in Europe: Access, Progression and Support 

is available in English on the Eurydice website: http://ec.europa.eu/eurydice 

EC-02-18-043-EN-N 

ISBN 978-92-9492-686-9 

doi:10.2797/190975 

© EACEA, 2018.