Teacher career reforms from around the globe

04 October 2019

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Many governments worldwide have reformed, or are looking to reform, their teacher career structures. Over the past several years, IIEP-UNESCO has been researching the questions that policy-makers face when they consider how to change the organization and management of teacher careers in their country, including entry to the profession, salary structures, and promotion models. The project has also examined the challenges posed by the reform process itself and the effects of the reform on teacher motivation, attraction, and retention.

Now, on World Teachers’ Day, IIEP-UNESCO is publishing eight country reports that detail the background, nature, and impact of some mature and some more recent teacher career reforms (ranging from 1991 to 2016). The countries explored include Colombia, Ethiopia, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, Scotland, South Africa, and Thailand. Each one draws on laws, regulations, statistics, and semi-structured interviews conducted with actors involved. The countries covered come from different geographical zones and income levels, and in each case the reforms were intended to diversify teacher career structures and professional advancement opportunities.

Each Country Note explores:

  • the particular context for the reform,
  • the teacher career model(s) used,
  • the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation process, and
  • the reaction from actors involved in the conception or implementation of teachers’ career, including teacher unions.

These new publications join our three detailed Case Studies on New York, Ecuador, and the Western Cape. Go to our publications website to find and download these and all other titles in our Management of Teachers series!