Source: Haaretz
Some 40 percent of new teachers quit the teaching profession within six to eight years after graduating, according to a study conducted recently on behalf of the Israel Education Ministry. The study compared 500 teachers from two groups: graduates of regular teaching programs and those from outstanding students programs. The dropout rates for both groups of teachers were similar.
In recent years, the Ministry has been investing large sums in attracting high-quality teachers, in part, by opening programs for outstanding students at the teachers colleges, which grant full scholarships, an accelerated program and other perks. In return, the students are required to teach for at least three years after completing their degree.
The recent study of some 500 teachers compared the job satisfaction of those who had graduated from regular programs, with those who had studied at the outstanding students programs. The dropout rates for both groups of teachers were similar -- about 40 percent quit within six to eight years of graduating, according to the study by the president of the Kibbutz Seminar College, Prof. Tzipi Liebman, along with Dr. Ditza Maskit and Hila Ackerman Asher. This figure is similar to those found in various other studies over the years, and to the statistics in other Western nations.
But there was a difference in the explanations given by the two groups for leaving teaching: Among the outstanding student program graduates the main reasons concerned their employment conditions, namely, salary, bad experiences in the field and the way the system treats them. However, they were more satisfied than the other teachers were with their work with the students.
Of the teachers who said they were dissatisfied with their jobs, 38 percent cited the recent reforms in the educational system as the reason, citing the bureaucracy involved.
Read more at Haaretz.