Teacher shortages are a global challenge in almost all current educational systems in Europe (UNESCO 2024; Craig 2017; Ovenden-Hope 2022). The recurrent teacher shortages are not only an existential problem for many schools, school leaders, and educational policy makers, but also for teachers themselves. Many have to live with the serious consequences of teaching large class sizes or the risk of becoming overburdened and leaving the profession before reaching statutory retirement age.

Current research discusses both individual factors (e.g., motivation, burnout) and contextual factors (e.g., mentoring, temporary contracts, low salary, out-of-field teaching) for staying in the profession or leaving it (Schaefer et al. 2012; Vale & Drake 2019). The crisis is difficult to solve due to the fact that contextual factors may be influenced by policy, but individual factors remain unaddressed and reasons for drop-out are multi-dimensional (Kelchtermans 2017). However, popular strategies are efforts to intensify and attract the recruitment of (new) teachers and efforts to intensify the retainment of (existing) teachers. These are urgent priorities for all educational systems in Europe in order to tackle the current teacher shortages, since these evoke immediate policy responses. However, policy responses are not always evaluated or based on evidence, nor are the experiences of those involved (e.g., school leaders, teachers, pre-service teachers, teacher educators) scrutinized. This is the focus of the symposium, which places the policy responses of three countries in its centre.

Austria, Italy, and Sweden have low average teacher salaries in primary, lower and upper secondary education relative to other professions in Europe (UNESCO 2024). In Austria and Italy, in addition, more than one fifth of the teaching workforce works on a temporary contract with a duration of one year. As these teachers are mostly novice teachers, the risk of them leaving the profession after termination of the temporary contract is high – and it is for the “wrong reasons” (Kelchtermans 2017). In Sweden, a special teaching certificate is a legal requirement for permanent employment and the right to independently set grades (Åstrand 2023). In summary, the framework conditions for becoming and staying a teacher in these countries is difficult – these national perspectives are therefore the topic of the symposium.

The *first presentation* focuses on an enhanced problem statement from Sweden, explicating the various causes for teacher shortages from a contextual perspective. The main focus of the presentation lies on policy reforms in teacher education, which exemplify the intentions to improve the situation of students and teachers. It underlines that many policy reforms have been counterproductive in terms of retaining and attracting qualified teachers.

The *second presentation* focusses on policy responses from Austria, especially on alternative pathways into the profession. The authors analyse the data of new entrants to the teaching profession (n=785) in Austria in 2023/24.

The *third presentation* builds on the second presentation – also from Austria – and shows a specific policy response to the teacher shortage that has to date not been researched widely: the return of retired teachers to school. The presentation comprises of a small-scale qualitative study with (n=14) retired teachers and experts.

The *fourth presentation* illustrates the teacher shortage in Italy, and relates it to key problems, including the increasing reliance on not fully qualified and second-career teachers. The last presentation puts emphasis on the difficult role of school leaders following semi-structured interviews (n=10).

All presentations draw on empirical data (1: meta-study, 2: quantitative data, 3+4: qualitative data). In the final discussion, the existing policy responses – especially attracting new teachers and intensifying the retainment of existing / retired teachers are discussed against the background of other participants’ experiences.

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