In Poland, only 4 percent of teachers are under 30 — RMF24

In Poland, only 4% of teachers are under the age of 30 — the third-lowest figure among European Union countries. A smaller share of young educators has been recorded only in Portugal and Cyprus. According to RMF24, the average age of a Polish teacher is nearly 47.

Poland’s education system employs 701,100 teachers. Women account for 84.2% of educators: 590,648 female teachers compared with 110,472 male teachers. The highest share of women among teachers is in kindergartens, where it reaches 98%. In primary schools, women account for 86.3% of teachers, in general secondary schools for 72.8%, and in technical schools for 65.6%.

The average age of educators is rising

The average age of female teachers in Poland is 46.5 years, while that of male teachers is nearly 48.6 years. In 2012, these figures were lower: 41.5 years among women and 43 years among men. The youngest teacher in the country is 18 years old and teaches piano at a first-level music school. The oldest is 90 years old and also teaches piano at such a school. Both educators are men.

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Vacancies and qualifications

The largest group consists of certified teachers — 372,094 people, or 53% of the total. There are 162,582 novice teachers, accounting for 23.2%, and 166,444 teachers with the mianowany grade, or 23.7%.

As of October 6, education superintendent offices’ websites had published 3,860 job advertisements for educators, covering a total of 2,488.28 vacant full-time positions. This is approximately 0.3% of total employment in the education system in the current school year. Most offers concerned teachers who co-organize the education of students with disabilities. Preschool educators, mathematics and English teachers, psychologists, special education teachers, and Polish language teachers were also frequently sought.