Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics - IEA

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TEACHER PAY AND STUDENT MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT
France
Composition of the teacher labor force
Nearly all French primary school teachers are women, but this is not the case for secondary
school teachers (Table 25). Although the data we use are for the year 2000, the number
of teachers and the proportion of women have changed only slightly since that time. The
teacher labor force is also quite elderly, particularly in secondary education, a situation
that has implications for recruitment over the next few years (see below). Nevertheless,
enrollment in primary school is steadily declining, and enrollment in secondary school
appears to have leveled off (Table 26). In 2006 and 2007, France’s Ministry of National
Education was able to recruit sufficient numbers of new teachers despite high levels of
retirement (Ministry of National Education, 2008). The composition of enrollment at
public schools could possibly change if immigration from North Africa continues, thus
creating new kinds of demands on the education system and its teachers.
Table 25: France, Composition of the Educational Labor Force, 2000
Staff Categories Numbers Age Groups in % % %
(public education sector) 2000 Under 30 Over 50 Women Part-Time
Primary Education Teachers 314,730 12.8 22.6 77.8 6.4
Secondary Education Teachers 420,240 12.5 33.5 56.7 7.5
Higher Education Teachers 71,600 9.0 41.9 33.1 1.3
Trainee Teachers 34,570 72.1 8.0 62.3 0.7
Management/Administrative/ 303,320 22.5 27.1 64.9 17.1
Technical Staff
Total 1,144,460 16.8 28.6 63.4 9.2
Source: Ministry of National Education (2001).
School
Table 26: France, Evolution of Student Enrollments (Public and Private Sectors),
1960 to 2005
Year of Enrollment (Number of Students)
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005
Primary (Including 6,371,000 7,220,000 7,124,000 6,705,000 6,552,000 6,626,500
Pre-Primary)
Middle and 3,158,000 4,452,000 5,137,000 5,523,000 5,613,000 5,485,000
Secondary
Total 9,529,000 11,672,000 12,261,000 12,228,000 12,165,000 12,111,500
Source: Ministry of National Education (2002).