TUAC - TRADE UNION ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE OECD

27/06/2013

Teachers’ salaries and working conditions are important determinants for attracting, developing and retaining high-quality teachers. Austerity policies aiming at lowering teachers’ salaries could undermine the provision of quality education. Looking at the data provided by Education at Glance 2013 (EAG 2013), it seems that policy makers across OECD member countries have taken up the message.

Like previous issues, EAG 2013 offers a wide array of indicators. It mainly focuses on learning outcomes and their relationships to inputs and processes at the level of individuals and institutions.

With the renewed interest in vocational education and training (VET) programmes across many OECD member countries, the report and the indicators illustrating the output of educational institutions as well as the employment and earning benefits of learning are providing conflicting messages. While indicators show that graduating from tertiary education is in most instances the best insurance against unemployment and a disappointing work experience – provided the fields of study are in high demand by prospective employers – the report suggests that expanding apprenticeships would be the best way to avoid youth unemployment.

To read more on TUAC’s assessment of the EAG 2013 and its different chapters, please download the TUAC input (pdf) here.