The online submission form for the collection of good practices to support the work of the Transforming Education Action Tracks is now available. The deadline for the first round of submissions is 20 May 2022, however subsequent rounds of submissions will be available.
Please submit your best practice here. Guidelines on how to do it can be consulted here.
The Transforming Education Summit (TES) in September 2022 provides a unique platform and opportunity to reimagine education for the 21st century and to mobilize greater political ambition, actions, and solidarity towards achieving SDG 4. The TES Thematic Action Tracks, in particular, spotlight areas requiring greater stakeholder attention and actions and can accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda and/or transform education.
While the national consultations workstream supports the development of a shared vision of the futures of education, the good practices collected through the Action Tracks workstream will identify evidence-based examples of successful policy interventions and programmes, including those addressing COVID-19 pandemic-related educational disruption as well as pre-existing educational equalities learning crisis, with a view to drawing lessons learnt and key drivers for transformation. Their value lies in communicating elements of already transformed education landscapes to decision-makers. Practical solutions that work in different contexts will be brought into the spotlight, particularly programming and financing approaches with transformative results for marginalized groups, along with evidence on how these might be taken to scale. It is hoped that such efforts will inspire the reapplication of experiences across countries.
This form is being used to seek good practices in the area of Teachers, teaching, and the teaching profession, which is the theme of Action Track 2 of the TES. The Action Track will explore the particular issues of teacher shortages, qualifications, and emerging professional development needs, status and working conditions of teachers and education personnel, educational leadership, and innovation.
For more information about the Transorming Education Summit, please see here.
Watch the replay here.
Ensuring qualified and motivated teachers in every classroom is the single-most important school-based determinant of quality education and learning outcomes. However, around the world, not only are there not enough teachers, but large numbers have not received sufficient training and lack minimum qualifications. The COVID-19 crisis also shone the light on the need for sustained and increased domestic and international financing and investment in teachers and teaching as the basis of education systems. Teachers must be better prepared to ensure that a generation of learners is not lost.
The side event will present new findings from research carried out by the Teacher Task Force addressing the following questions:
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This event is organized on the sidelines of the Global Education Summit: Financing GPE 2021-2025 in the framework of the Teacher Task Force #InvestInTeachers campaign.
English, French and Spanish interpretation will be provided.
Register here: https://unesco-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0kcuitrD4vGNNKdYt3tvuShdYXBW8hib1K
Teachers are the backbone of education systems and the key to reaching learning goals, regardless of context and situation. Within the COVID-19 crisis, they are on the front line in ensuring that...
This blog has been authored by UNESCO and the Secretariat of the Teacher Task Force.
In classrooms shaped by crisis and displacement, refugee teachers are already making learning possible. But without recognition and support, their contribution remains overlooked. A joint UNESCO and Teacher Task Force webinar explored how changing this could transform education systems.
On 4 March 2026, UNESCO and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (Teacher Task Force) brought together educators, policymakers and partners to address a pressing question: how can refugee teachers be better recognized and supported in response to global teacher shortages?
For Alhamis Dicko, a refugee teacher from Mali living in Mauritania, the issue is deeply personal.
“Teachers are human beings, they have families, they deserve stability and dignity,” he said.
Speaking during the webinar Recognizing and Empowering Refugee Teachers: A Sustainable Response to Teacher Shortages in Crisis-Affected Contexts, he described what it means to teach in displacement, and what is lost when refugee teachers are not recognized and supported.
In refugee-hosting communities, education is often one of the few sources of stability for children affected by crisis. But it depends on teachers, many of whom are refugees themselves.
Across regions such as the Eastern Horn of Africa, refugee teachers make up a significant share of the workforce. Yet many work without formal contracts, professional recognition or adequate pay, often outside national systems.
Dicko described colleagues leaving the profession because they could not afford to stay. Others remain, but with no clear pathway to recognition.
“When teachers are secure, education is secure,” he said.
This reality was echoed by Margaret Atto, a refugee teacher in Uganda, who described multilingual classrooms shaped by displacement. Refugee teachers, she explained, play a vital role in bridging communication gaps and supporting learning.
“Our efforts should really not be taken for granted,” she said. “We are very resourceful.”
The recent UNESCO–Teacher Task Force Global Report on Teachers estimates 44 million additional teachers are needed by 2030 to achieve SDG 4 – nearly 58% to replace those leaving the profession.
At the same time, many qualified refugee teachers remain excluded by barriers to qualification recognition, certification and employment.
“Recognizing refugee teachers is not separate from the global agenda — it is part of it,” said Carlos Vargas, Chief of UNESCO’s Section for Teacher Development and Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat.
This reflects international commitments, including the Santiago Consensus adopted at the World Summit on Teachers last year, which calls for more inclusive, diverse and well-supported teaching workforces.
Speakers called for moving beyond temporary, parallel systems toward full inclusion of refugee teachers in national education systems – in line with SDG 4, particularly Target 4.c on increasing the supply of qualified teachers.
Geofrey Tanui of Save the Children Kenya illustrated how this plays out in practice. In Kenya, refugee teachers make up a large share of the workforce in camp settings, yet still face barriers to training and certification. Efforts are underway to open more inclusive pathways into teacher training and align qualifications with national standards.
Tools such as the UNESCO Qualifications Passport help countries assess qualifications when documentation is incomplete. Stella Chipeta of the Zambia Qualifications Authority shared how this approach is being used in Zambia, while noting that recognition must link to national policies and employment systems to lead to real inclusion.
The webinar also highlighted research from Jigsaw Education.
Katrina Barnes presented findings showing many refugee teachers are highly qualified but unable to have their credentials recognized. Many remain on short-term contracts or receive stipends that do not meet basic needs.
Testimonies reinforced these findings, pointing to complex processes, high costs and legal barriers. At the same time, they highlighted the essential role refugee teachers already play, particularly in multilingual classrooms.
Closing the discussion, Lily Neyestani-Hailu, Chief of UNESCO Section for Education in Emergency, emphasized that education in crisis contexts is more than a service – it is a source of protection, belonging and dignity. Teachers are at the heart of that response.
The challenge now is to turn dialogue into action by removing barriers to recognition, certification and employment, and enabling refugee teachers to work with dignity.
It starts with a simple shift in perspective: recognizing refugee teachers not as a temporary solution, but as part of the global teaching workforce.
As Dicko put it:
“Investing in teachers is not a cost. It is an investment in stability, social cohesion and peace.”
The International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (TTF) invites members to join the 2026 Annual Meeting — a key moment to reflect on achievements under the 2022–2025 Strategic Plan and shape priorities for the new 2026–2029 Strategic Plan.
The meeting will feature:
✅ Strategic updates and governance announcements, including the presentation of the new Strategic Plan 2026-2029
✅ Discussions on the Global Report on Teachers and the Teacher Policy Dialogue Forum
✅ Thematic group presentations
✅ Interactive breakout discussions to co-create priorities and strengthen collaboration across the network
This meeting is exclusively for Teacher Task Force members.
We look forward to engaging with you as we continue advancing strong teacher policies and practice worldwide.