The number of teachers increased despite fewer pupils
In autumn 2008 there were 7,858 staff members in compulsory schools in Iceland, an increase of 232 from the autumn of 2007 (3.0%). Teaching staff members were 5,084 working 4,999 full-time equivalent jobs, an increase of 85 since the autumn of 2007 (1.7%). The number of full-time equivalent teaching staff has increased by 13 from 2007 (0.3%), which indicates that each teacher works less on average than the previous year. The number of teaching staff has increased depite 330 fewer pupils than in 2007. These statistics come from the annual data collection by Statistics Iceland which takes place in October.
More women headmasters
For the first time in the autumn of 2007 there were more female than male headmasters. This year the number of female headmasters has increased even more and now the proportion of female headmasters is 54.8%. School caretakers are now the only occupation in compulsory schools where more males than females are occupied.
The number of male teachers increased by 6, although the proportion of male teachers decreased by 0.2%. In the autumn of 2008, 20.8% teachers were males. Even though the number of male teachers increased, they are working 5 fewer full-time equivalent jobs.
More than one-half of teaching staff are 30-49 years old
In the autumn of 2008, 55.8% of headmasters and teachers were 30-49 years old. When looking at 5 year age groups the largest age group is 35-39 years old, with 768 teachers. When comparing with the age distribution of teachers in the previous year the number of teachers under the age of 40 has increased by 12 and the number of teachers aged 40-54 has decreased by 7. On the other hand there are 80 more teachers aged 55 and older than in 2007. The average age of teaching staff is 43.9 years and has increased by 1.5 years in the last 6 years.
Almost 85% of teaching staff are licenced teachers
A total of 84.8% of teaching staff hold a teaching licence, which is the same proportion as last year. In autumn 2005 this proportion was at a high of 86.7%, so the proportion of licenced teachers has decreased by almost two percentage points in three years. The proportion of licensed teachers is greatest in Reykjavík where 91.5% of teachers hold a teaching licence. The proportion of licenced teachers is lowest in the East and in the Westfjords, where 66.7% and 68.5% of teachers hold a teaching licence, respectively. The proportion of licenced teachers in the Westfjords has increased by 4.6% since the autumn of 2007.
It should be noted that 93.9% 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.
More teachers teach full-time
In the autumn of 2008, 78.0% of headmasters and teachers work at least one full-time job. This proportion has been increasing. Three years ago 75.9% of teaching staff worked at least one full-time job. A larger proportion of licenced teachers work full-time while non-licenced teachers are more likely to work part-time.
Teacher turnover is just over 17%
In October 2008, 17.3% of teaching staff members who were employed in October 2007 had left or taken leave from their jobs, a total of 863 teachers. The turnover rate is similar to the 17.4% measured between 2006 and 2007, which was the highest turnover rate 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.
Additional statistical data on pupils in compulsory schools are available at the Statistics Iceland website.