The Teacher Task Force network launched its #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign during the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee Stocktake of Transformative Actions in Education event, on 17 June 2024 at UNESCO HQ. Find out how to support the campaign here.
There is a critical global shortage of teachers, with an additional 44 million teachers urgently needed by 2030. To address this, countries must work together to invest in education and empower teachers. The future of all learners and societies depends on it.
Dedicated teachers are at the heart of quality education for every learner. But education systems around the world are in crisis as teacher shortages continue to rise. Each year, millions of teachers are resigning, and the attractiveness of the profession continues to fade.
The new Global Report on Teachers published by the Teacher Task Force and UNESCO, red-flags the fact that 44 million additional teachers will be needed by 2030 to reach Sustainable Development Goal 4 of attaining universal primary and secondary education for all.
These widespread teacher shortages adversely affect the quality of education in all countries and regions of the world, whatever their level of economic or human development.
According to the report, global attrition rates among primary school teachers almost doubled from 4.6 per cent in 2015 to 9 per cent in 2022. However, the majority of teacher shortages (about 70%) are in secondary schools, and over half of those are required to replace teachers who are leaving the profession.
Teacher qualifications are another key issue that governments and education role-players need to address. Globally, 86% of primary school teachers have the necessary qualifications according to national teaching standards. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, this indicator drops to just 69%.
In regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), less than 75% of teachers at pre-primary level are properly qualified.
When it comes to student-to-qualified-teacher ratios, the number has generally improved worldwide, but low-income countries still face a significant challenge.
In 2022, high-income countries had an average of 15 students per qualified teacher in primary education, while in low-income countries, the ratio is almost three times higher at 52 students per qualified teacher. This is also significantly higher than UNESCO’s recommended pupil to teacher ratio in primary education (40:1).
Investing in teachers is more than just a priority, it is an urgent imperative. Without this investment, the next generation of learners will not have enough teachers in classrooms.
Unless urgent action is taken, just four in ten countries will have enough teachers to ensure universal primary education by 2030. This drops to fewer than one in five countries for secondary education.
There are several factors influencing teacher resignations. They are facing multiple challenges including the lack of professional development, poor working conditions, heavy workloads and low salaries. There’s also a general lack of respect and recognition of their critical contribution to society.
This has impacted teachers’ mental health and overall welfare, causing them to feel overwhelmed and unsupported. It has also deterred many potential candidates from joining the profession.
The shortage of teaching professionals together with the decline in new teacher enrolments has serious implications for learners’ education and well-being. The unequal distribution of qualified teachers also perpetuates educational inequalities, especially in developing countries.
In a recent address, UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated, “Teachers are central to nurturing every country’s greatest resource: the minds of its people. Yet today, we face a dramatic shortage of teachers worldwide, and millions of teachers who lack the support, skills and continuing training they need to meet the demands of rapidly changing education systems.”
The Secretary General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession issued several recommendations to transform the teaching profession and to address the teacher shortage crisis, highlighting the need to value and respect the profession by ensuring “decent working conditions, competitive wages, ensuring teacher’s voices are included in policies and decision-making and opportunities for development and innovation.”
These recommendations are echoed by the Global Report on Teachers which identified several encouraging examples from countries around the world who have started to turn things around:
According to UNESCO-OECD-Commonwealth’s Price of Inaction report, children leaving school early has a major impact on the wellbeing of societies as well as economies. However, if governments were to ensure that every child stayed in school and achieved basic skills, the world’s GDP could increase by more than US$6.5 trillion annually.
One of the keys to ensuring children stay in school and learn is hiring qualified, motivated and diverse teachers who engage all students equally, and can unlock their potential.
This highlights the critical need for governments to support teachers through better policies, and more funding. According to the Global Report on Teachers, the annual investment needed to cover new primary and secondary teaching positions by 2030 is estimated at USD$ 120 billion. A substantial portion of this (US$39 billion) needs to be directed towards Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Just six years away from the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline, we are still facing numerous challenges to achieving education for all. We must step up our efforts, urgently!
Through its 2024 advocacy campaign #TeachersMissing, the Teacher Task Force aims to encourage governments, organisations and other education role-players to ramp up support for teachers. The campaign advocates for improving the attractiveness of the teaching profession to ensure every learner has access to a qualified and motivated teacher.
The world needs to recognise that teachers are a cornerstone of quality education, and play a critical role in building a more sustainable, resilient and prosperous future for all. Consult the #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign page to see how can you join this urgent call.
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:
The presentation of the report will be live streamed, the panel discussions will be in person in Nottingham.
AGENDA
Panelists will include key education stakeholders and representatives from partner organizations.
Useful links:
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:
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.
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:
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.
The UNESCO and Teacher Task Force Global Report on Teachers will be presented on Thursday 9 May at the 11th Conference and 13th Roundtable of the African Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA) in Lusaka, Zambia.
Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Education of Zambia and the Teaching Council of Zambia, the conference is scheduled to run from 6 to 11 May, uniting key stakeholders, policymakers, and educators for crucial discussions on Africa's educational future.
Carlos Vargas, Head of the TTF Secretariat and Chief of UNESCO's Section for Teacher Development, will present the Global Report on Teachers during a dedicated session on the conference's third day. This will be followed by a presentation of the Recommendations of the United Nations Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, and a moderated panel discussion, where participants will explore the implications of these policy tools within the context of the African Union's Year of Education and the forthcoming Continental Education Strategy for Africa.
His Excellency, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, will be present as the Special Guest of Honour during the conference. Joining him will be Hon. Douglas Siakalima, MP, Minister of Education, Zambia, serving as the Chief Host, and Dr. Ebby Mubanga, Registrar of the Teaching Council of Zambia, as host.
About AFTRA
AFTRA, the African Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities, comprises Ministries of Education, National Teaching Councils, Teacher Unions, Teacher Education Institutions, and international organisations associated with the regulation of teaching. AFTRA is also the Africa Regional Branch of the world body, International Forum of Teacher Regulatory Authorities, IFTRA (www.iftra.org). It is further the Co-Chair of the African Union Teacher Development Cluster, Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016-2025), and member of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030. It has a special working relationship with African Union Commission, UNESCO-IICBA, UNESCO Regional offices in Africa, Education International Africa Region, and many others.
Photo: The Minister of Education, Zambia chairing the Planning Committee which included members of the AFTRA Executive Board.