Teaching is an occupation that currently faces many difficulties. There is widespread concern among teachers about their occupational status, the demands of being a teacher, and the career rewards that teaching provides. The condition of teaching and the teaching service are also matters of intense public debate. This book contributes to this debate through a comprehensive examination of Australian teachers' careers. It discusses: the sociological, economic and historical contexts of teaching as an occupation; emerging issues and problems with regard to women teachers' careers, the ageing of the teaching force, teaching in rural schools, careers in Catholic and independent schools, and teachers' career behaviour and perceptions; and proposals for reforming teachers' career structures.