Selection and development of international indicators on staffing

International comparisons of indicators on staffing are regarded as a useful information base to policymakers. Politically relevant staffing indicators in relation to the costs, planning and quality of education deal with training, working conditions, staff characteristics, and stability and mobility of the teaching force. In order to obtain reliable and comparable information from the indicators, a long conceptual process of selection, defining and developing is needed. By way of illustration the current state of the development process of staffing indicators on tertiary education are described. Three rationales for selection distinguished are a) macro-level descriptions, b) system level conditions that affect teachers' motivation, and c) the effectiveness and efficiency perspective. Next, the results of some 'ready to use' indicators for primary and secondary education are presented.