Teachers in Chile Work More Hours Than Any Other OECD Country

Chilean teachers in both the public and private education systems work more hours per year than any of the 34 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and their class-sizes are among the contingent's largest, according to a report released Thursday.

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The findings shine a light on one of the most enduring impacts of Augusto Pinochet's military dictatorship. Forty-three years after seizing power from the socialist government of Salvador Allende, Chile's educational system continues to struggle with Pinochet's privatization and pro-market reforms, and the gaps in access and quality that remain.

In public primary and secondary institutions, Chilean teachers work a total of 2,006 hours per year, the only OECD country to surpass 2,000 hours annually and well above the OECD average of 1,585 hours in primary schools and 1,588 hours in upper secondary school.

Of those total hours, in Chile 1,146 hours per year are teaching time in both primary and secondary classrooms, between 370 and 500 hours above the OECD averages across levels.

Chilean teachers at the primary level also have one of the highest class sizes with an average of 30 students, nine pupils more than the OECD average and only topped by China with an average of 37 students at the primary level. At the lower secondary level, Chilean teachers have an average class size of 31 students, eight more than the OECD average and more than any other country, save Korea, Japan, and China.

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Conversely, Chilean teachers also are also paid less, receiving salaries that are higher than only three other OECD countries. At the primary level, teacher salaries account for 6.8 percent of Gross Domestic Product, compared to the OECD average of 7.5 percent. At the upper secondary level, the gap is even larger, with salaries for Chilean teachers accounting for only 5.5 percent of GDP on a per capita basis, compared to the OECD average of 9.2 percent.

The statistics are part of the 2016 Education at a Glance report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international group of 34 of the most developed countries. The study covers public spending, gender imbalances, enrollment rates, and other issues in education.

“Education remains a key driver of individual well-being, social progress and inclusive growth,” said OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria in Brussels Thursday at the launch of the report, adding that despite overall growth in investment, OECD countries remain “far from using education to its full potential.”

The 500-page report found that only 12 OECD countries report meeting the education objectives established by the United Nations Sustainable Development goals.

Mass student protests have rocked Chile in recent years, with protesters demanding free, quality post-secondary education in the face of a growing student debt crisis and inadequate government efforts to expand access to higher education.