ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the structure and composition of the teacher workforce, looking at the development of the state education system, at the growth of the teaching occupation, and at the school as a place of work. It outlines the importance of the labour market for teachers, and considering the stability of the workforce, and the nature of teaching as a job. Teachers organised themselves into strong associations to address their concerns about their conditions of service and about their professional activities—aspects of teaching that are in fact inextricably bound together. The number of women primary teachers increased by about 50 per cent, but the number of women secondary teachers trebled over the period. Political decisions about spending levels and about the ratio of pupils to teachers have an impact on the flows of labour into and out of the teaching profession.
