The Fragile Centrality of Teachers: Demographic and Institutional Strains in the Russian Education Workforce

Educational studies. 2025. No. 3. P. 51–76.

Ivanov I., Zair-Bek S. I., Anchikov K.

Teachers occupy a paradoxical position in contemporary societies: they are central to social reproduction and economic development, yet their profession remains structurally fragile. This article reports on demographic and institutional pressures shaping the teaching workforce in Russia between 2016 and 2024, situating the findings within global debates and the BRICS context. Drawing on national statistical data and institutional reports, we trace three interlinked dynamics: demographic ageing, workload intensification, and professional role transformation. The share of teachers aged 60 and above increased markedly in 2016–2024, while pupil-to-teacher ratios rose to nearly 20 in urban schools, highlighting escalating pressures on the staff. At the same time, teachers expanded their responsibilities becoming mentors, mediators, and digital administrators, reinforcing tendencies toward role overload and burnout. Interpreting these developments through the sociology of professions, human capital theory, and institutional resilience, the article argues that Russia exemplifies how demographic and organisational forces intersect to reconfigure teaching as a “semi-profession”. While these processes mirror global trends, the Russian case reveals distinctive patterns shaped by uneven regional development and state-centered governance. The study contributes to comparative education by integrating demographic and institutional perspectives, thereby illuminating the fragile centrality of teachers in transitional education systems.

Keywords: Russia, BRICS, БРИКС, социология профессий, sociology of professions, профессия учителя, teaching profession, comparative education, Ageing workforce, старение рабочей силы, Россия, institutional resilience, work intensification, интенсификация труда, teacher shortages, нехватка учителей, институциональная устойчивость, сравнительное образование

Publication based on the results of: The contribution of education to the development of human capital in the Far East and the Arctic (2025)