UK primary teachers 'among youngest in the world'

Britain has the youngest teachers in Europe and the youngest primary school teachers of any developed country, according to a new study. 

English teachers start their career with higher than average salaries, the OECD study found.

Almost a third (30.8 per cent) of UK primary teachers are under 30, in "stark contrast" with other wealthy countries where teachers are much older, the OECD's annual education study has found.

The next-youngest OECD country by primary teacher age is South Korea, where just 22.5 per cent are under 30, while in Italy a mere 0.3 per cent fall in that age category.

At secondary school level a similar pattern is evident, with almost half (49 per cent) of UK teachers under 40, compared with an OECD average of 36 per cent.

The figures, released today as part of the OECD's Education At A Glance study, follow concerns that rising numbers of teachers in England are taking early retirement amid concerns over factory-style exam targets, pupil behaviour and changes to pensions.

British teachers start their career with higher than average salaries, the study shows, although after more than a decade this begins to fall back.

On average, an English primary teacher's starting salary is around £19,600, and a Scottish primary teacher's £19,500, compared with an average across OECD countries of around £18,700.

After 10 years this reaches around £28,700 in England and £31,100 in Scotland, much higher than the OECD average of almost £23,000.

But the report adds that in England a teacher's salary at the top of the scale does not increase after 10 years' experience, so it eventually falls behind an OECD average of around £29,500.

The OECD said: "The relatively young teaching force in the UK stands in stark contrast to the situation in many European countries where inflexible employment conditions coupled with declining youth populations have led to ageing teacher populations."

The OECD's wide-ranging annual study looks at every area of education, from early years through to university.

It reveals that England's schoolchildren spend long hours in the classroom.

Pupils receive on average just under 8,000 hours of lesson time during their primary and first years of education, compared with the OECD average of 7,751. Virtually all of the time English pupils spend in the classroom is compulsory.

Andreas Schleicher, the OECD's deputy director for education and skills, said there is a link between the time pupils spend in the classroom and results.

"Learning time actually does matter," he suggested.

The study also reveals that private funding in the UK for higher education – such as money from tuition fees – almost quadrupled between 2000 and 2010.

It adds that, in 2010, the UK had the second smallest share of public spending on higher education (25.5% down from 67.7% in 2000) after Chile.