Key data: Teachers work far longer hours than most people think
- Rebecca Hall-Waters
- Oct 14, 2024
- 1 min read
09 Jun 2020
The general public systematically underestimates how many hours teachers work per week
BY THE VARKEY FOUNDATION
Most people around the world have no idea how hard teachers work. Research by the Varkey Foundation into the social status of teachers in 35 countries worldwide has found that the general public systematically underestimates how many hours teachers work a week. The survey of over 40,000 people, first published in 2018, found that most people around the world believed that teachers worked between two and 10 hours less in a week than they actually did. The disparity was particularly pronounced in Latin American countries, where respondents in Argentina, Panama and Peru underestimated the number of hours worked by teachers in a week by over 10 hours. The findings should be a cause for concern for policymakers and teacher advocates alike, as governments begin to reopen school systems closed by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
So true! A teacher I know used embroidered patches as a fun way to reward students each one handmade after long evenings of planning lessons. People see the patches but miss the hours behind them. It’s time we recognized the full dedication teachers put in, far beyond school hours.
You have a great talent for breaking down complex ideas into something that readers can easily grasp. I found myself nodding along as I read purble place game, because the way you explained things made everything feel so natural and logical.