Latin America and the Caribbean

Event
  • 07.10.2025

Ideas and Practices in Education Forum: Towards a new social contract to transform the teaching profession

On 8 October 2025, UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic (MINERD) will host in Santo Domingo the second national meeting of the Ideas and Practices in Education Forum, Colaboratorio de Ideas y Prácticas en Educación: hacia un nuevo contrato social para transformar la profesión docente, held as part of World Teachers’ Day celebrations.

The event will bring together education authorities, academics, civil society and international organizations to discuss the findings and recommendations of UNESCO’s first Global Report on Teachers and to identify concrete actions to strengthen the teaching profession in the country.

It will also present the outcomes of the 2025 World Summit on Teachers, notably the Santiago Consensus, and explore research and policy priorities to improve teachers’ working conditions in the Dominican Republic, in line with SDG 4 and the Ten-Year Education Plan “Horizonte 2034.”

📍 Venue: United Nations House, La Esperilla, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
📅 Date: 8 October 2025

👉 Please see the concept note and programme for the event (in Spanish) at this link.

Read more
Event
  • 07.10.2025

Ideas and Practices in Education Forum: Towards a new social contract to transform the teaching profession

On 8 October 2025, UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic (MINERD) will host in Santo Domingo the second national meeting of the Ideas and Practices in Education Forum, Colaboratorio de Ideas y Prácticas en Educación: hacia un nuevo contrato social para transformar la profesión docente, held as part of World Teachers’ Day celebrations.

The event will bring together education authorities, academics, civil society and international organizations to discuss the findings and recommendations of UNESCO’s first Global Report on Teachers and to identify concrete actions to strengthen the teaching profession in the country.

It will also present the outcomes of the 2025 World Summit on Teachers, notably the Santiago Consensus, and explore research and policy priorities to improve teachers’ working conditions in the Dominican Republic, in line with SDG 4 and the Ten-Year Education Plan “Horizonte 2034.”

📍 Venue: United Nations House, La Esperilla, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
📅 Date: 8 October 2025

👉 Please see the concept note and programme for the event (in Spanish) at this link.

Read more
Blog
  • 25.09.2025

The World Summit on Teachers: Supporting the valorization of the teaching profession

Education stakeholders from around the world gathered for the World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile to address the global challenge of teacher shortages and advocate for the sustained support for teachers through global action, financing and policy alignment, especially in the midst of a rapidly changing digital era. 

The World Summit on Teachers took place from 28 to 29 August 2025 in Santiago de Chile in conjunction with the SDG4 Education 2030-High Level Steering Committee’s Leaders Meeting. Organized by UNESCO and the Government of Chile, the event hosted participants from across the globe and culminated in the adoption of the Santiago Consensus, highlighting the irreplaceability of teachers and urgent call for revalorizing the profession. The Teacher Task Force played an instrumental role in the Summit, through consulting its network on the Santiago Consensus, as well as the active participation of Secretariat staff, network members and Steering Committee representatives.

The Santiago Consensus 

After two days of engaging and thought-provoking dialogue, the Summit concluded with the delivery of the Santiago Consensus, which underlines the indispensable role of teachers as the cornerstone of education. Developed through a consultative process involving the Teacher Task Force network, the consensus calls for strengthening comprehensive national teacher policies, advancing continuous professional development, encouraging the inclusion of teachers in policymaking, mobilizing education funding, and boosting digital and AI competencies. Central to these commitments is imperative to uphold strategies that reaffirm inclusion, equity, and gender equality in all facets of education. 

Launch of the costing and financing background paper 

A crucial moment at the Summit was the launch of the new Teacher Task Force and UNESCO background paper, Costing and financing the teaching profession: a strategic investment in education. Through examining a myriad of global data and country case studies, the paper highlights the essential role of domestic resource mobilization, the risk of overreliance on external and short-term funding, and the potential of progressive fiscal reforms to secure sustainable investment in teachers. 

Sessions led by the Teacher Task Force

Two of the thematic sessions at the Summit were moderated by Teacher Task Force representatives: Examining the Impact of AI on Teacher Development and Pedagogical Practices and Financing the teaching profession. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) emerged as a key theme of the Summit, and Erin Chemery, member of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat, chaired a discussion about the dual impact of AI on teacher development and pedagogical practices. Though the benefits of supporting teachers in lesson planning, feedback, multilingual instruction, and personalization stand as compelling rationales for its integration, leaders in education have raised critical questions about AI’s potential to erode, rather than enhance, teacher professionalism, pedagogical autonomy, and human connection. 

In a later session of the Summit, Carlos Vargas, Head of the Teacher Task Force Secretariat, orchestrated a conversation about financing the teacher profession. Sustainable teacher financing builds quality, equity, and resilience in education systems, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Many of the major costs come from employing teachers, such as salaries, recruitment, professional development, deployment, and working conditions. The 2024 TTF & UNESCO Global Report on Teachers found that the need for 44 million primary and secondary teachers comes at a cost of US$120 billion. The session further emphasized the need for governments and partners to improve education financing through better planning and innovative mechanisms. 

While the Summit has come to a close, there is still more work to do. Looking ahead, the Teacher Task Force will continue supporting countries in implementing the recommendations from the Santiago Consensus, as well as providing guidance on teacher policies that strengthen the profession globally. Overarching messages from the Consensus will pave the way for future efforts and initiatives, all following the same theme: we must invest in teachers now more than ever. 

Useful links

Photo credit: UNESCO

 

Read more
Event
  • 28.05.2025

World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile

POST-EVENT UPDATE 

UNESCO and the Government of Chile are pleased to announce the World Summit on Teachers, to be held in Santiago de Chile.

Taking place on 28 and 29 August 2025, with a “Day Zero” on 27 August for socio-cultural activities, visits, and pre-accreditation, the Summit is organized in conjunction with the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee meeting.

Building on the recent global events and reports that forged a global consensus on the need to invest in dignifying the teaching profession, the Summit aims to address the global challenge of teacher shortages and to advocate for sustained support for teachers in a challenging economic and socio-political context.

It will bring together ministers, teacher representatives, international organizations and key education stakeholders for high-level dialogue on teacher policies, financing, innovation and inclusion.

Members of the Teacher Task Force network are participating in the Summit, with support co-funded by the European Union through the Regional Teachers’ Initiative for Africa (RTIA) project.

  • Spread the word: access  visuals, suggested posts, and key messages of the Summit, which are available on the dedicated Trello board 

  • Engage on social media using the hashtags #InvestInTeachers and #LeadingSDG4

  • Consult and circulate the programme of the Summit

  • Amplify key messages on the vital role of teachers in leading education transformation, helping build momentum towards the successful adoption of the Santiago Consensus on Day 2

  • Watch and share the live streaming of all sessions (the link will be available on the event page closer to the date)

Useful links:

 

EU co-funded

Read more
Event
  • 28.05.2025

World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile

POST-EVENT UPDATE 

UNESCO and the Government of Chile are pleased to announce the World Summit on Teachers, to be held in Santiago de Chile.

Taking place on 28 and 29 August 2025, with a “Day Zero” on 27 August for socio-cultural activities, visits, and pre-accreditation, the Summit is organized in conjunction with the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee meeting.

Building on the recent global events and reports that forged a global consensus on the need to invest in dignifying the teaching profession, the Summit aims to address the global challenge of teacher shortages and to advocate for sustained support for teachers in a challenging economic and socio-political context.

It will bring together ministers, teacher representatives, international organizations and key education stakeholders for high-level dialogue on teacher policies, financing, innovation and inclusion.

Members of the Teacher Task Force network are participating in the Summit, with support co-funded by the European Union through the Regional Teachers’ Initiative for Africa (RTIA) project.

  • Spread the word: access  visuals, suggested posts, and key messages of the Summit, which are available on the dedicated Trello board 

  • Engage on social media using the hashtags #InvestInTeachers and #LeadingSDG4

  • Consult and circulate the programme of the Summit

  • Amplify key messages on the vital role of teachers in leading education transformation, helping build momentum towards the successful adoption of the Santiago Consensus on Day 2

  • Watch and share the live streaming of all sessions (the link will be available on the event page closer to the date)

Useful links:

 

EU co-funded

Read more
Subscribe to Latin America and the Caribbean