The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has publicized its “Education at a Glance 2012” report regarding education, according to which Greek teachers had less than average wages and the fewest, on average, teaching hours world-wide in 2010.
The report indicates that in 2010 a secondary school teacher would have 415 teaching hours per year, compared to the OECD average of 700 hours. Ten years prior the average teaching hours in Greece were 426 and world-wide average was 682 hours. Furthermore Greek teachers worked an average 153 days per year, compared to the OECD’s 185 days average.
Between 2000 and 2010 Greek gymnasium and lyceum teachers had their teaching hours reduced by 11 and 14 hours, when OECD data shows that worldwide averages increased by 23 and 53 hours respectively. The average classroom in Greece numbered 22.1 students (when OECD average was 23,4) and the average 15-year-old had 773 hours of compulsory education when the OECD average was 920.
Less than average wages
The Organization’s report shows that the average lyceum teacher earned 32,287 (OECD average 41,182) dollars, while their gymnasium colleagues earned 32,386 (OECD average 40,000) dollars. This puts Greece above Iceland, Mexico, Israel, Poland and the Czech Republic.
Since 2010 though teachers in Greece have seen their wages dramatically reduced, with the salaries of newly-appointed teachers being exceptionally low.
