No reliable published figure exists for what teacher turnover costs an international school; each school must calculate its own. What is known: in COBIS research, 45% of leaders said teachers typically stay three to four years. In TALIS 2024, 28% of UAE teachers under 30 said they intend to leave teaching within five years, against an OECD average of 20%.
How long do teachers stay in international schools?
Typically a few years. COBIS’s 2018 teacher supply research asked leaders how long teachers stay: “the majority of teachers remain with their schools for between ‘3 to 4 years’ (45%)”, with 27% reporting five to six years. It also found that “71% of outgoing teachers leave the international sector within 10 years” (COBIS, 2018). An earlier study of 22 schools found an average turnover rate of 17% a year from 2006 to 2009, “ranging from several schools with no turnover to schools with a turnover rate as high as 60 percent” (Mancuso et al., 2010).
Recruiting replacements is a challenge in its own right. In COBIS’s 2025 annual survey, 89% of responding schools found it “somewhat or very challenging to recruit the required quality of teaching staff”, up from 87% in 2024 (COBIS).
Are teachers in Gulf and Asian schools more likely to leave?
Younger teachers in some systems say so. TALIS 2024 asked lower-secondary teachers under 30 whether they intend to leave teaching within five years:
| System | Teachers under 30 intending to leave within five years | Compared with the OECD average (20%) |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 28% | Higher; unchanged since 2018 |
| Saudi Arabia | 26% | Similar |
| Singapore | 40% | Higher; down 9 points since 2018 |
Sources: TALIS 2024 country notes for the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. These are national teacher samples, not international-school teachers specifically. In the UAE, 92% of teachers are satisfied with their jobs, the same in privately and publicly managed schools.
Why do teachers leave international schools?
Mostly for home and family, according to those leaving the sector. COBIS’s 2022 survey found “the main reasons for leaving the international sector are concern about being separated from family/friends (53%), return home (44%) and family commitments (34%)”. Other reasons included quality of life (29%) and career prospects elsewhere (25%) (COBIS, 2022).
Reasons for leaving a particular school are different. The 2010 study found “the most important correlate of turnover was the perception of a supportive head of school”, with age and satisfaction with salary also linked. TALIS 2024 lists “too much marking” among the most common sources of stress: 43% in the UAE, 62% in Saudi Arabia and 49% in Singapore.
What does teacher turnover cost a school?
Calculate it with your own figures, because no credible published average exists. Add up, per departure:
- Recruitment: agency or fair fees, advertising, and leadership time spent interviewing.
- Relocation: flights, visas, housing set-up and shipping allowances.
- Induction: time for mentors and the new teacher’s reduced effectiveness in the first term.
- Overlap or cover: supply cover or overlap pay between the departure and the start date.
- Continuity: the least visible cost, when a class loses its teacher mid-course.
Multiply by the number of departures a year for the school’s annual cost. The last item is why mid-year departures in exam years cost most.
What reduces teacher turnover?
The evidence points to leadership, workload and professional growth, with most robust research from England. The NFER found that “90 per cent of teachers considering leaving teaching in 2023/24 cited high workload as a factor”. It says “reducing teacher workload may improve retention with low financial cost” (NFER, 2025). A 2026 NFER study found “school leadership support is an important factor for retention”. It is correlational, and its authors urge caution in interpreting it.
International schools report acting on similar levers. In COBIS’s 2022 survey, leaders reported enhanced wellbeing initiatives (66%), enhanced professional development (61%) and improved induction (54%), with fewer increasing salaries (32%) or reducing workload (20%). Given the evidence on workload, that last figure stands out. See how to reduce marking workload and Teacher Workload & Retention in International Schools.
How can schools limit the damage when teachers leave?
Make the course independent of any one teacher. Keep schemes of work, mock papers, marking standards and every student’s assessment record at department level, so a new teacher can pick up a class within a week. Stagger contract end dates where possible, so a department does not lose several teachers at once. Plan exit interviews to find out which reasons are within the school’s control.
How schools do this with AI Buddy
AI Buddy helps with continuity. Each student’s practice and mock results, topic gaps and progress stay on the platform when a teacher leaves, so the next teacher inherits the record rather than starting from scratch. By taking routine practice marking off teachers, AI Buddy also addresses the marking workload TALIS identifies as a common source of stress. Retention itself depends on leadership, conditions and culture, which remain the school’s to shape.
Frequently asked questions
How much does teacher turnover cost an international school?
There is no reliable published figure. Schools should add up recruitment, relocation, induction, cover and continuity costs per departure, using their own numbers.
How long do teachers stay at international schools?
In COBIS research, the largest group of leaders (45%) said teachers typically stay three to four years, and 27% said five to six years.
Why do teachers leave international schools?
Those leaving the sector most often cite separation from family and friends, returning home and family commitments. For individual schools, a supportive head has been linked to lower turnover.
What improves international school teacher retention?
Supportive leadership, manageable workload and professional development, according to the available evidence, most of it from England.
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Sources
- COBIS, Teacher Supply in British International Schools reports: 2018, 2022; Annual Research Survey
- OECD, TALIS 2024 country notes (October 2025) and Insights and interpretations
- Mancuso, S., Roberts, L. & White, G. (2010), Teacher retention in international schools, Journal of Research in International Education
- NFER, Teacher Labour Market in England: Annual Report 2025 and What helps to improve teacher retention? (February 2026)