Strange and Obscure Facts About Teachers

1. Teachers in China are highly respected. They hardly ever leave the profession and are reasonably paid. Teachers in Germany enjoy the same situation. Teachers in England a poorly regarded.

2. In ancient Greece teachers were paid higher wages than skilled craftsman. They received gifts from citizens also. The highest paid teachers in Greece were music teachers.

3. The teachers in ancient Rome were by and large Greek teachers who were slaves. The teachers had little incentive. Moral suffered and the quality of education in the Roman Empire became a story of gradual decline. The were eventually qualified, licensed, and paid by the state. The quality of public education got even worse.

4. The great African civilizations from the time of the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt to the Kingdoms of Kush and Nubia produced teachers that were respected all over the ancient world.

5. Teachers in Taiwan enjoy higher occupational prestige and greater job satisfaction than teachers in the United States. The social status of teachers is an indication of the current importance attached to education in a country.

6. Currently one of the countries that is experiencing the greatest magnitude of in decline in teachers' status is India. In 2007 the following question was asked at Yahoo Answers, "Do teachers have low social status?" Out of 10 answers a best answer was chosen. The best answer's first sentence reads, "Yes, in North America teachers have low social status".

7. In the U.S. the percentage of teachers over 48 is rising every year. The percentage oft teachers under 35 is decreasing.

8. Salaries for high School teachers with 15 years of experience and the minimum level of education and training required to be certified exceeded $40,000 in 1998 in Denmark, Germany, Japan, and the Netherlands and exceeded $60,000 in Switzerland Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2000. The comparable salary for the United States was $35,000. www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind02/c1/c1s7.htm

9. Wealthier countries do not necessarily spend a greater share of their wealth on educational resources (teacher salaries). The U.S. spends a below average amount of it's wealth on teacher salaries when compared with other nations.

10. One of the conclusions of a A 2002 study by the National Science Board was that U.S. preeminence in science and technology may erode as competition for qualified science teachers increases. Qualified American teachers will seek better working circumstances overseas.

11. Important studies done by professors and educators are rarely taken seriously much less read by decision makers.

12. According to the National Association of Head Teachers, almost 25% of head teachers in England and Wales reported by survey they drank too much or were alcoholics.

13. 7% of U.S. public school teachers were threatened with physical injury by a student from at their school in the 2003-2004 school year, down from 2% from five years earlier. 3% were physically attacked in the 2003-2004 school year.

14. According to Google the world's best teacher is yourself.

SOURCES
http://www.wikipedia.com
http://www.ingentaconnect.com
http://www.education.nic.in/cd50years/r/2Q/42/2Q420301.htm
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070426005828AA0r8gF&show=7
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind02/c1/c1s7.htm
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:UqGcyB488wEJ:news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/830496.stm+teachers+and+alcoholism&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us
http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:sKxwdnWMS80J:nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp%3Fid%3D49+percentage+of+teachers+who+commit+suicide&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=us