| As the pool of unskilled
jobs shrinks in rich countries, the prospects for future employment
will depend increasingly on as many people as possible getting a
good education. Providing that education - not just access to university
but good schooling from an early
age - is the key to future prosperity for OECD nations.
But this year's Education-at-a-Glance
report highlights the fact that
on average the numbers of mature teachers
has risen by nearly two percentage points in member countries
and by four percentage points in Finland, Germany, Ireland and
the United Kingdom. Shortages are
already evident. In fourteen OECD countries just over a tenth
of teaching posts in upper secondary schools were vacant at the
start of the last school year. And more importantly, the shortages
are predominantly in those subjects on which future economic performance
will likely depend: science, technology and computer science,
maths and foreign languages.
Elsewhere in the report which covers a wide range of comparative
data, girls continue to reduce the gender
gap in educational performance. And not only have they
closed the gap in many subjects, they have overtaken
boys in such key areas as reading - now a cause
for concern - says the OECD.
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unskilled: people who are unskilled
do not have any special training or qualifications for a job
schooling: the education you receive
at school
at-a-glance: you see or recognise something immediately
- a quick reference source
highlights: if you highlight something
you draw attention to it
mature: fully developed, ripe
shortages: if there is a shortage
of something, there is not enough of it
comparative data: information
and/or figures used to compare things
gender gap: the gap between the
sexes - boys and girls, men and women
overtaken: if you overtake someone
or something, you go faster than them
cause for concern: a reason to
be worried
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