#TeachersMissing

44 million additional teachers are needed globally to ensure universal primary and secondary education by 2030
 

The Teacher Task Force's #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign for 2024 is sounding the alarm on the urgency of addressing the global teacher shortage.


Watch the #TeachersMissing campaign video:


 

What's at stake?

Teachers are at the heart of providing quality education for all students. And yet, systems around the world continue to face shortages and struggle to attract and retain enough teachers. The new Teacher Task Force & UNESCO Global Report on Teachers unveiled that 44 million additional teachers are needed globally to reach the goal of attaining universal primary and secondary education by 2030. Encouragingly, this number marks a significant decrease from the 69 million teachers projected by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics in 2016.

However, the ongoing gap remains about half the size of the existing teaching workforce. Some regions also continue to face large shortages, with sub-Saharan Africa requiring 15 million additional teachers by 2030 – or about one out of three of all teachers needed globally.

The working conditions of teachers today are the learning conditions of students tomorrow.  If we don’t act now, there won’t be teachers to ensure the new generations can thrive and contribute to building a more equal world. Investing in teachers is more than just a priority. It is an imperative. And it is urgent.
 

What is the Teacher Task Force doing about it?

In the wake of the Members States-led United Nations (UN) Transforming Education Summit and the exchanges of the international community convened at the Teacher Task Force 14th Policy Dialogue Forum, a cohesive strategy emerges. Anchored in the Recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s (UNSG) High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, which delineate the transformative path for educators, and supported by the new data and analysis from the Global Report on Teachers, providing the pragmatic "how-to" guide, the Teacher Task Force (TTF) is poised for action.

Through its 2024 advocacy campaign #TeachersMissing, the Teacher Task Force will harness the collective momentum to address the critical issue of teacher shortages. Rallying the network and partners, the campaign will be launched at the TES stock-taking meeting 17 June 2024 at UNESCO HQ, to inform and influence key global decision and gatherings, including the Education Groups of the G7 and G20, the Global Education Meeting, and the 2024 UN Summit of the Future. Regionally, it will also aim to inform the African Union Year of Education. The campaign will culminate with a Call to Action endorsed by the network and presented at the Global Education Meeting in November.
 

Campaign objectives

  1. Raise global awareness on the urgency of addressing teacher shortages, based on the findings of the Global Report on Teachers;
  2. Advocate for policies that dignify, diversify, and valorize the teaching profession based on recommendations of the UNSG’s High-level Panel on the Teaching Profession; and
  3. Call to action to improve the attractiveness of the teaching profession and ensure that every learner has a qualified and motivated teacher.
     

Key messages


Overarching message

It is crucial to increase the attractiveness of the teaching profession to address the global teacher shortage and ensure quality education for future generations. 
 

Thematic messages

  1. Investing in teachers is more than just a priority, it is an imperative. And it is urgent. If we don’t address teacher shortages, the next generation of learners will not have teachers in classrooms.

  2. Teachers and teaching are global public goods: public policies need sustained, long-term planning for teachers, and they must promote equity, diversity, inclusion, lifelong learning, and peace.
  3. To address teacher shortages, we must increase the attractiveness of the profession, both for in-service and aspiring teachers, through improving the working conditions, salaries, and career opportunities.
  4. The teacher shortages are an issue of quantity and quality: we need additional 44 million trained teachers to achieve primary and secondary universal education.
  5. Nothing on teachers without teachers: coordinated and institutionalized social dialogue on regional, national and global level is key to ensure teachers stay in the profession
  6. Striking the balance between accountability and agency is key to allow teacher innovations and improve the attractiveness of the profession
  7. Cooperation in building action plans to address teacher shortages is essential on global, regional and national level is essential between countries and within the international community.
  8. AI can’t replace teachers but teachers can leverage AI, if they are trained to do so.
     

Target audience and strategy

Directly, the campaign aims to engage policymakers at national and international levels, as well as international organizations and donor agencies working on teacher issues. Indirectly, the campaign seeks to involve teachers and teacher unions, young teachers and youth, and civil society organizations working in education. A key strength of the campaign is the extensive, diverse and engaged Teacher Task Force network, which comprises over 170 countries and organizations and multiple key partners.
 

Get involved

  1. Use and share the social media pack and hashtags #TeachersMissing and #InvestInteachers
  2. Embed the key messages in your communications, campaigns and initiatives.
  3. Contribute to identifying advocacy opportunities and synergies
  4. Submit a blog on how your programme contributes to addressing teacher shortages (good practices, human stories,…)
  5. Mobilize your networks, including youth and teachers
  6. Participate in drafting the Call to Action and endorse it (more information to come)

Resources

The #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign was launched on Monday 17 June during the High-Level Dialogue parallel session on the teaching at the first Transforming Education Summit (TES) Stocktake event organized by the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee. Click here for more information about this event.

This page will be updated regularly as the advocacy campaign progresses.