The future of sustainable education is largely reliant on the ability to fund it; however, the gap between sustainable development aspirations and financing to meet them has widened, reaching an estimated US$4 trillion annually. This has trickled down to impact how countries budget for education, ultimately affecting the opportunities provided by the teaching profession. Now more than ever, it is essential to invest in teachers and ensure accessible and equitable education for generations to come.
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development took place from 30 June to 1 July 2025 in Sevilla among Heads of State and Governments, gathering with the goal of renewing their shared commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
Education, culture, and scientific research are among the most powerful levers for peace and the development of our societies. Ensuring sustainable funding for them is now essential—undermining it would mean undermining our shared future. - Audrey Azoulay (UNESCO Director-General)
Yet, in this conversation of sustainable development, many key areas were not acknowledged, such as SDG 4 and specifically target 4.c: By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least-developed countries and small island developing States. The event glossed over difficulties in funding sustainable education and failed to outline concrete plans to overcome such problems. Instead, it took a broad approach in advocating for sustainable development as a whole, not necessarily going into the details of what sustainable development consists of.
Education is a necessary component of sustainability plans. A recent UNESCO report highlights that a deficit in basic skills will cost the global economy potentially US$10 billion annually by 2030. Still, continuous financial obstacles, such as rising trade tensions and sovereign debt, serve as a barrier to addressing this deficit. In response to this, leaders at the conference outlined a detailed agenda calling for stronger financial transparency regarding sustainable development generally.
Debt as a roadblock towards equitable education
The discussion surrounding debt must be taken into consideration as an element of funding education. Amid successive global crises, sovereign debt has challenged the notion of sustainable development, and therefore the future of education. The UN Trade and Development found that more than 40% of the world’s population live in countries where more is spent on debt interest payments than education or health.
“There is an alarming tendency among the international community to regard debts in the developing world as sustainable because they can, after some sacrifice, be paid off,” says UN Trade and Development Secretary-General Rebecca Grynspan. “This view overlooks the skipped meals, forgone investments in education, and lack of public health spending, not to mention reduced investment in infrastructure, that forcibly make room for interest payments.”
Inadequate financing threatens global sustainable development through escalating education inequalities and reducing learning opportunities; the debt crisis is largely responsible for the lack of monetary attention to education. With this, the United Nations Secretary-General is requested to convene a group working with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank assigned to establish guiding principles on responsible sovereign borrowing and lending.
Closing the digital divide in education
In addition to financial obstacles, the rapid and unprecedented advancement of science, technology and innovation has also inhibited developing countries’ ability to maximize potential for sustainable development, as it has deepened digital divides both between and within countries. Unintended economic, environmental, and social impacts have worsened gender inequality and further excluded persons with disabilities, older persons, and those in vulnerable situations.
The Compromiso de Sevilla states: “We will take action to leverage the positive impacts of digitalization in education and reaffirm our commitment to foster innovation, financial literacy and digital capacity building, including through education and skills development.”
In education, the digital divide persists. Today, 2.6 billion people still lack access to the internet, or about 32% of the global population. That number increases to 60% of primary schools globally that are not connected to the internet. Therefore, the support of developing and deploying technologies that are affordable, available, equitable, and accessible to all is of utmost importance. Leaders from the conference advocate for financing plans that invest in digital infrastructure across societies while continuing to enhance STEM skills among children, youth, women and girls, persons with disabilities, and people in vulnerable situations.
Investing in the development of teachers
Investing in education requires investing in teachers, and that implies salary costs and professionalization initiatives. According to the 2024 Teacher Task Force & UNESCO Global Report on Teachers, the urgent need for 44 million primary and secondary teachers worldwide comes at a cost of US$12.8 billion for universal primary education and US$106.8 billion for universal secondary education. Funding towards maintaining strong salaries and enhancing working conditions is not only essential in retaining existing teachers, but also in attracting qualified candidates to fill these missing positions. Teacher attrition is an exceedingly significant financial cause because high turnover rates require additional investment in recruiting and training new teachers.
Despite its recognized importance as a sustainable development indicator, education and the role of teachers were overlooked throughout the conference. The only reference to education as an element of development was a vague commitment to supporting “adequate financing to ensure inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.” Yet, the implications are clear: without adequate financial planning, reaching the 2030 SDGs in education will be nearly impossible. In the discussion of financing for the future of sustainability, the inclusion of education and teachers needs to be better addressed.
The World Summit on Teachers
The upcoming World Summit on Teachers presents an opportunity to further discuss the funding of the teacher profession through exploring potential partnerships, innovative financing mechanisms, and different funding strategies. Led by UNESCO and the Government of Chile, the event will take place in Santiago, Chile, on 28 and 29 of August 2025. In conjunction with the Summit, UNESCO and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 will be publishing a paper about the costing and financing of teachers, emphasizing the need for bold investments and increased education budgets. The report further stresses the necessity of reversing high teacher turnover rates, which disproportionately affect low-income and marginalized communities. Check back soon to read the full paper.
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