Under pressure: Czech elementary school teachers at risk of burnout

Facing a growing population of schoolchildren amid a reported shortage of elementary school places, teachers in Czechia are feeling the strain.

A recent survey finds that some Czech school teachers felt threatened by burnout, and about one-third were “exhausted." Other factors, such as non-increasing pay and even occasional aggression from children's parents, have been making teachers’ lives difficult. 

In a study carried out by the education-focused Scio company, 2,600 teachers from 90 Czech elementary schools were questioned about their feelings about teaching. Six in 10 teachers sometimes felt “tired” from their work, with about one in four saying that they were worried about burnout.

Earlier this year, President of the Association of Pedagogical Chambers Radek Sárközi said "teachers often say that their [children’s] parents threaten them, curse them, insult them,” as reported in iDnes.cz. Although rare, teachers also reported verbal abuse and even attacks from children.

The chairwoman of the educational organization Teachers’ Platform, Petra Mazancová believes that elementary schools should invest more in psychological help and counseling for problematic pupils. This, Mazancová says, would partly alleviate problems of bad behavior.

A “long-term shortage” of places in Czech schools – particularly in Prague and Central Bohemia – has recently been reported. Children, according to Parlamentní Listy, have needed to “learn at improvised workplaces, including in a confectionery or in a heated tent.” The recent influx of Ukrainian child refugees – an estimated 70,000 – entering the Czech school system since February 2022 has worsened an already unstable situation.

A shortage of teachers in Czechia's schools is also contributing to the overall strain. A study by iDnes.cz found that the country is missing around 6,000 teachers. The fact that the average age of a teacher is 47 also casts worry on the future availability of teachers.

Ministry of Education data as cited by iDnes.cz also shows that about 10 percent of all new teachers left their roles in the first year of teaching.

A separate study in 2022 also found that, in some parts of the country, up to one-third of teachers were technically unqualified for their role.

Relatively poor pay forms another part of teachers’ grievances. The current average salary for a school teacher in Czechia is about CZK 47,000 gross. Although this is over the national average, teachers feel let down by the government’s unfulfilled salary-increase promise. 

The official state budget envisages a 4-percent salary increase for teachers in 2023, despite a promised rise of about 11 percent. With inflation currently projected to average about 9 percent in 2023, this is a decrease in real terms. The average salary between 2021 and 2022 increased by 8 percent.

Difficult though life may be for teachers, they remain positive. An overwhelming majority – 93 percent – “feel satisfied” with their role overall. Going forward, higher state pay would incentivize more people to enter the profession, simultaneously helping fill the supply shortage and improving the lives of existing teachers.