This is a topic that I've been thinking about a lot lately and you sound informed. What do you make of the teachers in other countries? Do they tend to be bright and educated? Here, in my personal experience (my own primary/secondary education and my kid's thus far), teachers often fall into their line of work. Do people aspire to positions in education in the four other countries that you're experienced with? Are they appropriately compensated?
Well, it depends on the country, but mostly, yes, teachers are those that strive to get there. In many countries the pay is even worse than it is here (even taking into account the differences in standards of living) and no one in the education field gets paid above the local poverty level. In fact in Turkey there are whole neighborhoods, as well as hostels around the country for teachers and their families to live and vacation in that are subsidized by the government because the pay is so bad.
In the Philippines the teacher has a great deal of power in the villages because they are often one of the few educated people there, so it is quite an honor to be a teacher.
