The number of teachers increased despite fewer pupils
In autumn 2007 there were 7,615 staff members in compulsory schools in Iceland, an increase of 42 from the autumn of 2006 (0.6%). Teaching staff members were 4,990 working 4,978 full-time equivalent jobs, an increase of 21 since the autumn of 2006 (0.4%). The number of full-time equivalent teaching staff has increased by 178 from 2006 (3.7%), which indicates that each teacher works more on average than the previous year. The number of teaching staff has increased depite 73 fewer pupils than in 2006. The number of special education teachers increased by 38 from the previous year (8.0%) and there were 11 more headmasters than in 2006 (increase of 6.4%). These statistics come from the annual data collection by Statistics Iceland which takes place in October.
More women headmasters for the first time
The number of male teachers continues to decrease and in autumn 2007 they constituted 21.0% of teaching staff. During the 10 years that Statistics Iceland has published data on compulsory schools more males than females have been headmasters. This year, however, there are 95 female and 89 male headmasters. School caretakers are now the only occupation where more males than females are occupied in compulsory schools.
Almost 85% of teaching staff are licenced teachers
A total of 84.8% of teaching staff hold a teaching licence. The proportion of licenced teachers decreased by just over one percentage point since the autumn of 2006. In autumn 2005 86.7% of teachers had a teaching licence, so the proportion of licenced teachers had decreaed by almost two percentage points in two years. The proportion of licensed teachers is greatest in Reykjavík where 91.4% of teachers hold a teaching licence; a decrease of almost two percentage points since the autumn of 2006. The proportion of licenced teachers is lowest in the Westfjords and in the East, where 63.9% and 66.3% of teachers hold a teaching licence, respectively.
It should be noted that 93.3% of licenced teachers have completed university education. The number of older teachers, who completed teachers’ education before it was moved to the tertiary level, decreases year by year.
Teacher turnover increased between school years
In October 2007, 17.5% of teaching staff members who were employed in October 2006 had left or taken leave from their jobs, a total of 871 teachers. The turnover rate is higher than has been measured up until now in the Statistics Iceland data collection since its start in 1997. Teacher turnover is greatest among those who do not have a teaching licence and among part-time teachers.
