160 percent increase in the number of graduating teachers

When I entered the Ministry of Education and Culture in December 2017, it was evident that an ongoing teacher shortage in Iceland loomed, as a complete collapse had occurred in graduations since 2008; 80% in preschool teacher education and 67% in primary school teacher education.

A society without teachers is not competitive, as the teaching profession is the most important job in society, providing the foundation for all other jobs. Teachers have played a significant role in all our lives, as the first two decades of each individual's life largely take place in a classroom. We all remember teachers who had a profound impact on us as individuals, our course selection, and our well-being at school. A good teacher makes a difference. A good teacher shapes the future. A good teacher deepens understanding of subjects and encourages students to think comparatively in their search for solutions to topics. A good teacher opens students' eyes to new things, helps them along the path, and stands by those who need support.

It was therefore essential to turn this negative trend around, to address the impending teacher shortage and to push forward with full force for the teaching profession. Right at the beginning of the last election period, the matter was prioritized in the then Ministry of Education and Culture, and actions were announced in the first quarter of 2019. These included:

Paid internships for students in their final year of master's studies for teaching qualifications at preschool and primary school levels.

Scholarships for students in their final year of master's studies for teaching qualifications at preschool and primary school levels to make it easier for them to complete their final projects alongside paid internships and to create incentives for students to finish their studies on time.

Grants for working teachers to pursue continuing education to increase the number of teachers in Icelandic schools who are knowledgeable about helping newcomers in teaching.

Simultaneously, a teacher bill was introduced and passed by the Althingi to lead to greater flexibility and mobility of teachers between school levels to increase their employment opportunities.

I am proud and delighted now, four years later, to see news that the number of graduating teachers has increased by 160% compared to the average of the years 2015-2019, which was 174. A total of 454 graduated as teachers in 2022!

This is a huge success for our society and would never have been achieved without the excellent collaboration among education authorities, the Association of Icelandic Municipalities, the Icelandic Teachers' Association, the University of Akureyri, the Faculty of Education at the University of Iceland, the Iceland Academy of the Arts, the Federation of Icelandic Industries, and the organizations Home and School.

This shows in black and white that the actions taken today are crucial for the future and that it is indeed possible to successfully tackle significant challenges in a relatively short time when everyone is rowing in the same direction with cooperation as the guiding principle.

Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Culture and Business Affairs, Deputy Chair of the Progressive Party, and former Minister of Education.

The article was first published in Morgunblaðið on January 28, 2023.