Survey: 40% of school principals report severe teacher shortage

In depth

A survey by the National Authority for Measurement and Evaluation examined the state of schools and found that 40% of school principals report a severe shortage of teachers that hinders their work. 77% of the principals who answered the survey say their workload is too heavy.

Only 60% of principals feel they have the authority to make decisions in cases of violence and unusual incidents. One principal described the situation as "our hands are tied" and added that not only is there no national program to deal with the crisis, there is denial of its depth.

A chain of confessions by teachers in a closed group described curses, violence and secret recordings, and described mental burnout. Education Ministry data indicate that 31% of teachers report burnout, and 21% are considering whether to continue in the profession.