This blog post was originally published on the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Education for All Blog on 29 October, 2025.

Around the world, financial barriers continue to weigh on the future of the teaching profession, to the detriment of inclusion and equity in education systems.

The profession faces numerous shortcomings, both in terms of the number of qualified teachers and funding to support new teachers as well as those already in post.

The Santiago Consensus invites actors in the education sector to recognize the seriousness and urgency of the crisis affecting the teaching profession, while advocating for stronger and more comprehensive policies.

Can we afford not to act?

By 2030, it is projected that 44 million new teachers will be needed worldwide to ensure quality education for all, at an estimated annual cost of nearly US$120 billion.

Regions experiencing rapid population growth are expected to be the most affected by the shortage, due to the need to create new teaching positions.

Overcrowded classrooms have become a serious problem in low-income countries, where the teacher-to-student ratio is 52 to 1, compared to 15 to 1 in high-income countries.

To build a future based on inclusion, equity, gender, equality, and education for all, global cooperation and solidarity are essential. Now is the time to invest in teachers.

Mobilizing the international community within a consultative process

The Santiago Consensus defines a common vision and priorities for consolidating the teaching profession globally.

It was developed under the auspices of UNESCO as part of a broad consultative process involving the network of the International Task Force on Teachers, the High-Level Steering Committee for SDG 4 – Education 2030, youth networks, as well as teachers and their organizations.

It reaffirms the indispensable role of teachers as a pillar of education and calls for swift action to strengthen teacher policies.

The consensus was adopted at the conclusion of the World Teachers Summit , a two-day high-level meeting that brought together political leaders, representatives of teachers, international organizations and key players in the education sector, organised by UNESCO and the Chilean government.

This summit marked a decisive turning point in the global dialogue, fostering discussions on issues related to teacher shortages, funding and policy harmonization, as well as the rapid evolution of the digital age.

Investing in teachers for lasting impact

The Santiago Consensus defines a series of commitments made by governments and actors in the education sector with a view to achieving a common goal: maintaining educational systems that promote the well-being, professional development and the various skills of teachers.

Sustainable funding has emerged as one of the most pressing issues facing the teaching profession. To make progress, we must promote transparency and accountability.

Building on this shared understanding, the International Task Force on Teachers used the Summit to amplify this call to action. It participated in sessions dedicated to financing and published a new document , developed in collaboration with UNESCO, focusing on cost assessment and financing the teaching profession as a strategic investment in education.

This document underlines that sustainable funding for the teaching profession is essential to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 4. It calls for renewed political commitment and evidence-based strategic measures to ensure more effective budgeting, while highlighting the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable investment in teachers.

Funding equity and accountability

The document moves from strategy to implementation and also stresses the importance of mobilizing national resources for teachers by prioritizing education in national budgets and establishing legal guarantees for its funding, including through a minimum budget allocation set by law.

Donors and international partners are encouraged to strengthen coordination at national and global levels and to promote collective bargaining with a view to fair wage structures, comprehensive social benefits and protection against precarious employment contracts.

This message aligns with the Seville Commitment , the final document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, which supports "appropriate financing to ensure inclusive, equitable and quality education for all".

Implementing the Santiago Consensus

We are currently behind schedule in achieving SDG 4, which aims to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all".

As a global education community, we need to design long-term investment strategies that promote fair recruitment, just compensation, continuous professional development, and improved working conditions.

This shared goal of education for all cannot be achieved without significant financial commitments.

The fundraising campaign aims to mobilize donor resources to replenish its funds dedicated to quality education for all and to reverse the trend in the face of the global teaching and learning crisis.

Co-organized by Nigeria and Italy, the 5th GPE funding campaign has set ambitious goals: to raise $5 billion for the GPE fund and unlock an additional $10 billion in co-financing from development banks, bilateral donors, the private sector and philanthropic partners.

If these goals are achieved, they will transform the education systems of 96 low-income and lower-middle-income countries and territories.

Collective action for teachers, with teachers

The Santiago Consensus is an announcement of a common contribution and a global call to rethink education as a collaborative and ongoing journey, based on trust, respect and investment.

The voices of teachers and the participation of young people must guide the development of quality policies aimed at attracting, supporting and retaining dedicated educators.

The time has come to establish ambitious international cooperation and sustainable funding to implement these policies.

Together, we can ensure that every teacher has the necessary resources to act, that every student is inspired, and that every classroom becomes a space of inclusion, equity, peace, and hope.

Let's transform the Santiago commitments into collective action for teachers, with teachers.

Learn more

• Read the blog in French

• Read the Santiago Consensus

Photo credit: GPE/Kelley Lynch

Education stakeholders from across the globe joined the World Teacher’s Day celebration on 3 October 2025 in Addis Ababa in conjunction with the Pan African Conference on Teachers’ Education (PACTED 2025). 

Hosted by the African Union, World Teachers’ Day 2025 took place on 3 October in Addis Ababa. The event was co-convened by the Teacher Task Force members UNESCO, the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, and Education International (EI), spotlighting the theme “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession.” 

For the first time in the event’s history, the celebration was held outside of UNESCO and instead in Addis Ababa, hosted by the African Union (AU). Since 1994, World Teacher’s Day has commemorated the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers – the international standard setting out teachers’ rights, responsibilities, and working conditions – as well as the 1997 Recommendation on Higher-Education Teaching Personnel. This year's event continued to reaffirm commitments to the AU Decade of Education.

Placing collaboration at the forefront of this year's celebration 

“On this World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF and Education International call on governments, partners and the international community to make a collective commitment to ensuring that collaboration is recognized as a norm within the teaching profession – because it is only through effective cooperation at all levels that we can build truly inclusive, equitable and resilient education systems worldwide.” - joint message by the heads of UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF, and EI 

This year’s theme illustrated the power of collaboration in classrooms while continuing to cultivate past themes, such as the teacher shortage, education in conflict zones or hard-to-reach communities, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and advocacy for greater financial investments in education systems. 

A ministerial panel, moderated by the African Union, a valued member of the TTF, shared different country-specific examples related to the topic “From isolation to collective strength: Reenvisioning the teaching profession through the lens of collaboration,” ultimately aiming to answer the question: how do successful education systems institutionalize collaboration? Suggested ideas included incorporation of communities of practice, mentoring schemes, and co-teaching initiatives.  

The collective sentiment from the event was undisputed: collaboration is an invaluable facet of the future of the teaching profession. 

“This year’s theme ‘Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession’ responds to a critical reality. Too many teachers work in isolation without any support that could strengthen their practice and their well-being...Teachers cannot and should not stand alone; that’s why we are here together to celebrate this important date. Teachers matter to all of us.” - Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General 

Uncovering new trends in the teaching profession 

The event also marked the unveiling of a new fact sheet published by the Teacher Taskforce and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), which examines global and regional data on teacher workforce growth, training and qualifications, and how collaboration can be fostered throughout a teachers’ career.  

At the pre-primary, secondary, and tertiary level, the global teacher workforce has significantly expanded. However, the proportion of trained teachers has declined across all education levels, and student enrolment rates have continued to outpace the growth of teachers. Therefore, the ratio of students to trained teachers is still uneven, further igniting the need for renewed investment in teacher development. 

“More advocacy is needed, and this is precisely what this year’s World Teachers’ Day aims to do, to send a strong collective message that the best teacher cannot meet all his or her learners' needs alone. Teaching is a collective endeavor and as such, it demands putting in place the necessary regulatory frameworks to facilitate collaboration in all its dimensions and it also demands allocating teachers and schools dedicated time and space as well as adequate resources, whether, logistical, technological, or financial.” - Valérie Dijoze, UNESCO Programme Specialist 

Continuous professional development (CPD) is a key element of the fact sheet as well. Only 14% of low-income countries required CPD, compared to 73% of high-income countries. It is critical to acknowledge this policy and capacity gap that is unevenly impacting opportunities for collaboration. Embracing collective approaches such as team teaching, joint activities across classes, classroom observation with feedback, and collaborative professional learning will be essential for the future of the teaching profession. 

Moving forward after World Teachers’ Day 2025 

Ideas presented at World Teachers’ Day echoed what was outlined in the Santiago Consensus, the outcome document from the 2025 World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile. Teachers form the foundation of the education system, and investing in their rights and well-being is investing in society.  

“We commit fiercely, unapologetically to every child’s right to learn. We commit to holding governments accountable. We commit to defending our profession, its quality, its dignity, its soul. The United Nations Recommendations on the Teaching Profession are our compass. They are clear: Teachers must shape curricula, pedagogy, and policy. Teachers must shape the future. Transformation demands more than consultation. It demands co-creation. Teachers as equal partners.” - EI President Mugwena Maluleke 

As evident from the discussions at World Teachers’ Day and evidence from the fact sheet and Santiago Consensus, collaborative practices support teachers in building a professional network, obtaining new competencies and skills, and overall increasing human connection within the profession. Teacher voices must remain included in social and political dialogue in order to develop policies that are actually productive and grounded in classroom realities.  

Relevant resources: 

• World Teachers’ Day fact sheet 
• World Teachers’ Day event page