Teacher shortage linked to classroom stress, family disengagement and housing shortfalls
Despite available training, schools—especially at secondary level—face teacher shortages driven by challenging pupil behaviour, rising mental‑health.
Key Points
- Shortage of teachers is acute at secondary level and affects primary schools too.
- Challenging pupil behaviour and rising child/adolescent mental‑health needs deter entrants and push teachers out.
- Parental disengagement increases burdens on schools as families step back from upbringing responsibilities.
- Lack of affordable, stable housing undermines recruitment and retention; policy should address classroom, family and housing factors.
Teacher training is available in the country, yet there is a clear shortage of educators—especially at the secondary level, and also among primary school teachers. Several factors, both intrinsic to the profession and external, make teaching less attractive.
On the inside, the everyday reality in schools—challenging pupil behaviour and growing mental health needs among children and adolescents—can deter people from choosing or staying in the profession. Difficult working relationships and reluctance to accept the authority of school leadership can also be obstacles.
The family environment is another factor. In some cases families expect schools to be responsible for what is considered good or bad upbringing, and sometimes they step back from their role as the primary learning environment that supports a child’s overall development. That abdication increases pressures on teachers and on schools.
External conditions matter too. Access to decent housing is a significant issue for both incoming teachers and local educators. Having stable accommodation is essential to building a life and career, and when it is lacking it makes recruiting and retaining staff harder.
If the aim is to attract and retain teaching talent, policymakers and education systems need to take these practical and social factors into account—classroom conditions, family engagement, and living‑cost realities like housing—when planning workforce strategies.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: