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Although mortality may be lower than predicted, the impact of the pandemic is far greater than mortality. HIV has resulted in large numbers of ill teachers, some of whom form an invisible attrition, as they have ceased to work, but remain in employment, often with the support of their colleagues. The pandemic also results in greater attrition of senior people, as qualified personnel leave the education sector for positions that AIDS deaths have rendered vacant in other areas of the economy (Kelly 2005).
Gender and family responsibilities Data from the US suggest that the attrition of female teachers is higher than that of male teachers (Guarino et al 2004). This may be due to female teachers being more likely to leave their posts because of pregnancy and child care (almost 25% of teacher attrition in the US is influenced by pregnancy and child care responsibilities (NCES 2007)). Second, there are indications that men remain more likely to be promoted than women, which may contribute to lower retention of female teachers (Quartz et al 2008). In sub-Saharan Africa the picture is varied. There are some suggestions that attrition of female teachers may be higher than that of males. Female teachers are often reluctant to take up posts in remote areas, which may lead to greater attrition early in their careers. In some areas of the Gambia, communities may resist the arrival of an unmarried female teacher, making it difficult for female teachers to accept rural postings (World Bank 2007). In addition, female teachers may be more likely to leave their jobs if unable to find a post near their husbands' place of work, or to migrate to another school (Boe et al., 1997; Henke, Chen, & Geis, 2000). On the other hand, in some communities there are fewer alternative labor market opportunities for women, which may result in lower attrition of female teachers (Mulkeen 2010).
Pull factors - alternative labor market opportunities Remuneration and labor market opportunities There is clear evidence that the relationship between teacher remuneration and the alternatives available in the labor marker has an important influence on attrition. Studies in the US have demonstrated that higher salaries are associated with lower teacher attrition (Guarino et al 2004). A longitudinal study showed that a significant pay rise for teachers (relative to local pay scales) was associated with an increase of more than four years in the median teaching spell duration (Murnane and Olsen 1989 and 1990).
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