The United Kingdom National Education Union (NEU) is organising a roundtable during the Labour Party Conference to 'soft-launch' its new report, Prioritise teachers to transform education: How tackling the global teacher shortage can unlock the UK’s development agenda.

The event will feature contributions from the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, focusing on how addressing the global teacher shortage is essential for advancing Sustainable Development Goal 4 and supporting Labour’s wider development goals. Carlos Vargas, Head of the Teacher Task Force, will provide insights from the Recommendations of the UN Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession and the Global Report on Teachers, emphasising the importance of UK government action on teacher recruitment, retention, and training in the Global South.

Event Goals:

• Highlight the NEU International report with support from the TTF
• Engage parliamentarians on the global teacher shortage and its impact on SDG 4
• Advocate for a global teacher strategy in UK global education and development policy

Replay:

• Learn more on the Prize finalists

• Teacher Voices video testimonies as part of the #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign
• Read about the leaureates

World Teachers’ Day is held annually on 5 October to celebrate all teachers around the globe. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching personnel in higher education. World Teachers’ Day has been celebrated since 1994.

It is a day to celebrate how teachers are transforming education but also to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talent and vocation, and to rethink the way ahead for the profession globally.  

World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and Education International (EI).

Valuing teacher voices: Towards a new social contract for education

Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the future by nurturing students and driving educational progress. However, to fully harness their potential, it's crucial that their voices are heard and valued in the decision-making processes that affect their profession. This year’s World Teachers’ Day highlights the need to address the systemic challenges teachers face and to establish a more inclusive dialogue about their role in education. 

The 2024 celebrations will focus on "Valuing teachers' voices: towards a new social contract for education." The event will emphasize the importance of integrating teachers' perspectives into educational policies and fostering a supportive environment for their professional development. This theme responds to the significant challenges highlighted by the UN Secretary General’s High-level panel on the Teaching Profession, and our recent Global Report on Teachers, including a growing shortage and declining working conditions., including a growing shortage and declining working conditions. 

The day will feature an opening ceremony with high-level messages from UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF, and Education International. It will also include a keynote address on the necessity of a new social contract in education and a segment showcasing teachers’ voices from the room and around the world, sharing their insights on improving policies and practices. Additionally, the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development will be awarded, celebrating outstanding contributions to teacher development. 

Teacher Task Force #TeachersMissing campaign

This year’s focus underscores the urgency of calling for and attending to teachers' voices to address their challenges but, most importantly, to acknowledge and benefit from the expert knowledge and input that they bring to education. As part of the Teacher Task Force #TeachersMissing campaign, the morning teacher voices session will be the occasion to give the floor to teachers in the room and to showcase the video testimonies of teachers from around the globe.

Event format

World Teachers' Day 2024 will be held in a hybrid format, offering both in-person and virtual participation options. The event will take place in-person at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, Rooms I and IV. Interpretation in French, Spanish, English, Arabic, and Portuguese will be available. The public will be invited to actively participate and engage in the discussions.

More information

The programme, concept note and all the communications assets can be found on the official UNESCO World Teachers' Day webpage.

From 2 to 5 September 2024, Digital Learning Week will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This annual event brings together global leaders in digital education, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to explore the intersection of digital transformation and green transitions in education.

The focus this year is on fostering a human-centered, climate-friendly approach to AI in education, with a special focus on teachers. The key themes of the programme include:

• AI Competencies for School Students and Teachers
• Ethical Regulations for AI in Education
• AI and Learning Assessment
• Education at the Intersection of Digital and Green Transitions

Teacher-Specific Sessions

Educators will find valuable sessions tailored to enhance their understanding and application of AI in teaching:

• Launch of the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers during Plenary Session 3 on 3 September at 11:00 AM CET, guiding educators to become responsible designers and users of AI in their classrooms.
• Best practices in developing AI competencies for teachers, a breakout session scheduled on 3 September from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM CET, focusing on media and information literacy, and digital citizenship education.

Other highlights of the programme include:

• Award Ceremony: Presentation of the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education, recognizing innovative projects at the intersection of digital learning and environmental sustainability.
• Youth Forum: Discussions featuring youth perspectives on the impact of technology in education and its environmental implications.
• Networking Opportunities: Concluding with a networking cocktail on 5 September, offering participants a chance to connect and collaborate.

Digital Learning Week 2024 will take place in-person with selected sessions livestreamed. Interpretation will be provided in English and French.

For more information and to consult the concept note, visit the UNESCO Digital Learning Week website or contact dlw@unesco.org.

Click here to learn more about UNESCO’s work on Digital Learning and Transformation and AI in Education. 

Photo credit: Rich T Photos/Shutterstock.com

From 2 to 5 September 2024, Digital Learning Week will take place at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. This annual event brings together global leaders in digital education, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to explore the intersection of digital transformation and green transitions in education.

The focus this year is on fostering a human-centered, climate-friendly approach to AI in education, with a special focus on teachers. The key themes of the programme include:

• AI Competencies for School Students and Teachers
• Ethical Regulations for AI in Education
• AI and Learning Assessment
• Education at the Intersection of Digital and Green Transitions

Teacher-Specific Sessions

Educators will find valuable sessions tailored to enhance their understanding and application of AI in teaching:

• Launch of the UNESCO AI Competency Framework for Teachers during Plenary Session 3 on 3 September at 11:00 AM CET, guiding educators to become responsible designers and users of AI in their classrooms.
• Best practices in developing AI competencies for teachers, a breakout session scheduled on 3 September from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM CET, focusing on media and information literacy, and digital citizenship education.

Other highlights of the programme include:

• Award Ceremony: Presentation of the UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICT in Education, recognizing innovative projects at the intersection of digital learning and environmental sustainability.
• Youth Forum: Discussions featuring youth perspectives on the impact of technology in education and its environmental implications.
• Networking Opportunities: Concluding with a networking cocktail on 5 September, offering participants a chance to connect and collaborate.

Digital Learning Week 2024 will take place in-person with selected sessions livestreamed. Interpretation will be provided in English and French.

For more information and to consult the concept note, visit the UNESCO Digital Learning Week website or contact dlw@unesco.org.

Click here to learn more about UNESCO’s work on Digital Learning and Transformation and AI in Education. 

Photo credit: Rich T Photos/Shutterstock.com

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) are hosting a research event entitled "International Research Workshop on Teachers as Lifelong Learners: Policy and Practice" from 12th to 14th June 2024 at Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.

The workshop aims to bring together perspectives from policy, programs for teacher professional development, teacher-led initiatives, and research in the field of lifelong learning and teacher education, to take stock of the status quo, progress, trends, and innovation in this field. The workshop, over three days, aims to ideate and build consensus on the research objectives, methodology, and scope of this project and seeks to establish a robust framework.

Objectives of the workshop

1. Identify, discuss some of the key concepts and defining features of lifelong learning of and for teachers to transform education systems into a lifelong learning one.
2. Share and discuss a selected number of promising policies that integrate lifelong learning features in initial teacher training and continuing teacher professional development.
3. Identify and discuss some of the examples of lifelong learning of teachers in practice and research.

Participants will include experts from academia, research institutions, national and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations, professional associations, and international organizations. 

Carlos Vargas, Chief of UNESCO's Section for Teacher Development and Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat, will contribute to a panel discussion on the global policy agenda on teachers and lifelong learning. He will speak on methods of transforming the teaching profession, drawing on the Recommendations of the High-level Panel (HLP) on the Teaching Profession and the 2024 Global Report on Teachers: Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession.

More information regarding the workshop programme will be posted here as it becomes available.

Background

Lifelong learning has been a pivotal concept in educational policies since the release of the UNESCO Faure Report (1972) and Delors Report (1996). These reports have emphasized education as a continuously evolving process throughout life. Lifelong learning is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 4, which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Teachers are fundamental to achieving these goals, requiring continuous professional development within a lifelong learning framework. The UIL and SHNU project, "Teachers as Lifelong Learners: International Research, Policy, and Practice on Lifelong Learning for Teacher Education (2023-2026)," aims to generate evidence on effective policies and practices for developing teachers as lifelong learners.

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL) and Shanghai Normal University (SHNU) are hosting a research event entitled "International Research Workshop on Teachers as Lifelong Learners: Policy and Practice" from 12th to 14th June 2024 at Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China.

The workshop aims to bring together perspectives from policy, programs for teacher professional development, teacher-led initiatives, and research in the field of lifelong learning and teacher education, to take stock of the status quo, progress, trends, and innovation in this field. The workshop, over three days, aims to ideate and build consensus on the research objectives, methodology, and scope of this project and seeks to establish a robust framework.

Objectives of the workshop

1. Identify, discuss some of the key concepts and defining features of lifelong learning of and for teachers to transform education systems into a lifelong learning one.
2. Share and discuss a selected number of promising policies that integrate lifelong learning features in initial teacher training and continuing teacher professional development.
3. Identify and discuss some of the examples of lifelong learning of teachers in practice and research.

Participants will include experts from academia, research institutions, national and regional governmental and non-governmental organizations, professional associations, and international organizations. 

Carlos Vargas, Chief of UNESCO's Section for Teacher Development and Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat, will contribute to a panel discussion on the global policy agenda on teachers and lifelong learning. He will speak on methods of transforming the teaching profession, drawing on the Recommendations of the High-level Panel (HLP) on the Teaching Profession and the 2024 Global Report on Teachers: Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession.

More information regarding the workshop programme will be posted here as it becomes available.

Background

Lifelong learning has been a pivotal concept in educational policies since the release of the UNESCO Faure Report (1972) and Delors Report (1996). These reports have emphasized education as a continuously evolving process throughout life. Lifelong learning is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 4, which promotes inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Teachers are fundamental to achieving these goals, requiring continuous professional development within a lifelong learning framework. The UIL and SHNU project, "Teachers as Lifelong Learners: International Research, Policy, and Practice on Lifelong Learning for Teacher Education (2023-2026)," aims to generate evidence on effective policies and practices for developing teachers as lifelong learners.

Register here.

The inaugural Teacher Task Force and UNESCO Global Report on Teachers will be presented in Nottingham, U.K., on 21 June at a special event organized in cooperation with the United Kingdom Forum for International Education and Training (UKFIET).

The report, titled Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession, was officially launched at the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum in Johannesburg on 26 February. This Nottingham event aims to share the findings of the report and provide an opportunity to foster dialogue, exchange ideas, and generate actionable strategies to empower decisions-makers and teachers to improve education outcomes globally, in the United Kingdom and in Commonwealth countries as well as in countries where UKFIET and its partners operate.

An in-depth presentation will unveil the key findings of the report, including the need for an additional 44 million primary and secondary teachers by 2030 to meet SDG 4 targets. This session will discuss the root causes of teacher shortages, such as inadequate salaries, challenging working conditions, and insufficient professional support, as well as successful mitigation strategies employed by various countries.

Following the report presentation, four panel discussions will be held, focusing on key themes related to the report's findings:

• Teachers' continuous personal development
• Teachers' working conditions
• Financing teachers for achieving Target SDG 4 and Education 2030
• Missing data on teachers

The presentation of the report will be live streamed, the  panel discussions will be in person in Nottingham.

Register here.

AGENDA

• Registration – 10:30- 11:00
• Introduction of the panel – 11:00-11:10
• Presentation of the Global Report on Teachers- Carlos Vargas Tamez, Head of the Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 and Chief of UNESCO’s Section for Teacher Development 11:10- 12.10 (including a Q&A)
• Panel discussion – 12- 1.00
• LIVE online sessions – 11.00am- 1.00pm
• Break- 1.00- 1.40pm
• Breakout sessions - 1.40-3.00pm
• Tea break- 3.00- 3:15pm
• Closing- 3:15- 4:20

Panelists will include key education stakeholders and representatives from partner organizations. 

Useful links:

• Register here
• Visit the official UKFIET event page
• Consult the Global Report on Teachers

Please find here the summary report of the meeting.

The Teacher Task Force School Leadership Network is organizing the first global meeting of 2024. Join a global community of school principals and education experts to explore innovative strategies and exchange best practices that can help strengthen leadership in schools.

• Date: 5th June 2024
• Time: 9:00 GMT -3 | 12:00 pm UTC | 5:30 pm IST | 3:00 pm EAT

Register here.

The School Leadership Network (SLN) is an initiative led by the Teacher Task Force, Global School Leaders and the Varkey Foundation. Aligned with the TTF Thematic Group on school leadership, at its core, the global community is dedicated to strengthening leadership within schools. It brings together school leaders, educational experts, policymakers, and researchers to address the multifaceted challenges faced by educational leaders.

Through collaborative efforts and vibrant knowledge sharing, the network endeavors to highlight and cultivate innovative solutions that empower school leaders to drive positive change within their educational contexts and highlight their voices with the research and policy-making community.

Learn more about the Teacher Task Force School Leadership Network here.

REGISTER HERE

On 17 June, the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee will convene its Leaders’ meeting to conduct the first Transforming Education Summit (TES) Stocktake exercise. This event aims to take stock of country progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) and showcase transformative actions undertaken by Member States. It will set the stage for two global milestone events: the Summit of the Future on 22-23 September in New York and the Global Education Meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil, on 31 October - 1 November, following the G20 Education Ministers Meeting.

A key focus of the 17 June meeting will be the High-Level Dialogue parallel session on the teaching profession. This dedicated session will focus on the Recommendations of the UNSG High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession. It will give the floor to policy-makers to share their national perspectives on the implementation of these recommendations, highlighting the opportunities for action they have been able to seize, the challenges they have encountered or are considering, and the areas where they believe regional or international cooperation is critical. Finally, the session will be an opportunity to engage countries in working on national roadmaps for implementing the recommendations of the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession.

The session will also provide an opportunity for the Teacher Task Force to launch its 2024 advocacy campaign, issuing a call to action to implement the High-Level Panel's recommendations to tackle the global teacher shortage.

This June event will set the stage for accelerated actions towards SDG 4, highlighting the importance and urgency of transforming education as we approach the 2030 deadline.

Visit the official event webpage for updates.

The Teacher Task Force network, represented by the Secretariat, Germany, Indonesia, India, Republic of South Africa and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is present at the 2024 G20 Education Working Group Sherpa meeting, hosted by Brazil.

The focus of the intervention will be on the critical findings from our latest Global Report on Teachers, which highlights the urgent need to address teacher shortages worldwide, with 44 million primary and secondary teachers needed by 2030 to address primary and secondary universal education.

The focus will be on the G20 country examples with good practices that contributed to addressing teacher shortages, including:

• More competitive teacher salaries
• In-service training
• Induction programs
• Communities of Practice (CoPs)
• Support for rural teachers
• Improved working conditions
• Promoting gender equity

UNESCO is taking part in various G20 moments - Sherpas meet to discuss the progress of the various G20 processes, such as the working groups and Engagement groups. They also oversee the negotiations and provide strategic advice on preparations for the Leaders Summit. Read more about UNESCO engagement in the G20 here.