Teacher policies

Teacher education / Continuing professional development

Futures of teaching

Document

Contract teachers in sub-Saharan Africa_EN.pdf (826.69 KB)

International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Year of publication

2020

Collation

Report

Country of publication

International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Geographic topic

Africa

Authors

is public

Launch of the KIX LAC Knowledge Mobilization Cycle on Teachers Policies and Practices

Raul Chacon — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 13:26:43 +0000

Launch of the KIX LAC Knowledge Mobilization Cycle on Teachers Policies and Practices Raul Chacon Mon, 01/26/2026 - 13:26

Evento en Español, Inglés y Francés

Event in English, Spanish and French

Événement en français, anglais et espagnol

SUMMA and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), through the KIX LAC Hub, and with the support of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), are pleased to invite you to the launch of the new Knowledge Mobilization Cycle on the use of evidence in Teacher Policies and Practices.

On Wednesday, January 28, a webinar will be held where we will explore key themes associated with the cycle’s objectives, UNESCO’s 2025–2030 Regional Teacher Strategy, and the prioritization of the regional agenda through the exchange of national experiences. The meeting will bring together the views of representatives from Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as organizations such as UNESCO, SUMMA, the OECS, and the Caribbean Union of Teachers, among others.

Registration and more information here: https://summaedu.org/en/agenda-en/launch-knowledge-mobilization-cycle-on-the-use-of-evidence-in-teacher-policies-and-practices/

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SUMMA y la Organización de Estados del Caribe Oriental (OECS), a través del Centro KIX LAC, y con el apoyo de la Alianza Mundial para la Educación (GPE) y el Centro Internacional de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo (IDRC), tienen el agrado de invitarlos al lanzamiento del nuevo Ciclo de Movilización de Conocimiento sobre uso de evidencia en Políticas y Prácticas Docentes.

El miércoles 28 enero se realizará un seminario donde exploraremos temas claves asociados a los objetivos del ciclo, la Estrategia Regional Docente 2025–2030 de la UNESCO y la priorización de la agenda regional mediante el intercambio de experiencias nacionales. El encuentro integrará las visiones de representantes de países de América Latina y el Caribe; y de organismos como la UNESCO, SUMMA, la OECS y el Sindicato de Docentes del Caribe, entre otros.

Registo y mayor información en: https://summaedu.org/agenda/lanzamiento-ciclo-de-movilizacion-de-conocimiento-sobre-uso-de-evidencia-en-politicas-y-practicas-docentes/

Dates

Wed, 01/28/2026 - 13:00 - Wed, 01/28/2026 - 15:30

Virtual

Topic

#TeachersVoices

Policy Dialogue Forum

SUMMA / OECS - KIX LAC Hub

America/St_Lucia

Our 2025 wrapped: Reflecting on the TTF’s impact for teachers

Jack McNeill — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:37:36 +0000

Our 2025 wrapped: Reflecting on the TTF’s impact for teachers Jack McNeill Wed, 01/21/2026 - 17:37

2025 marked a year full of engaging opportunities, fruitful discussions, and productive advancements towards achieving SDG 4 target 4.c through the work of the Teacher Task Force (TTF), especially amid ever-changing geopolitical shifts. Activities in 2025 continued to be structured around knowledge production and dissemination, advocacy, and national and regional policy learning, marking the final year of our 2022-2025 Strategic Plan.

Month to month, the TTF raised awareness and expanded knowledge across key issues concerning teachers: from building AI competencies to promoting collaboration to advocating for greater financing of the teaching profession.

Moving with the same momentum into 2026 and beginning of a new Strategic Plan cycle, the TTF enters another year full of meaningful dialogue, reflection and stocktaking around innovative policies, and global action aimed at improving teachers’ working conditions, education and well-being. As the year comes to an end, it is important to reflect on the accomplishments from 2025 that will set the pace for the upcoming year.

Global efforts propelling the teaching agenda

The TTF participated in dozens of global events prioritizing sustainable teacher development initiatives, ultimately leading to one of the largest initiatives of the year, the World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile. Building on the 2024 Global Report on Teachers (GRT) and the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum (PDF), the Summit culminated in the adoption of the Santiago Consensus, which was developed collaboratively under the auspices of UNESCO and the TTF, the SDG4-Education 2030 High-Level Steering Committee, youth networks, teachers and organizations. At its core, the Santiago Consensus underscores the indispensable role of teachers in education systems worldwide and recognizes the key role that the TTF plays and should play in fostering teacher policy development and implementation.

Youth engagement formed part of the TTF’s wider advocacy and partnership work in 2025. Collaboration with the SDG4 Youth & Student Network supported dialogue around the Santiago Consensus and broader global exchanges on addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession into one that is respected and empowered.

World Teachers’ Day served as another successful opportunity to advocate for teachers. This year’s theme, “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession,” illustrated the significance of collaboration among teachers, an invaluable facet that will characterize the profession moving forward. The 2025 World Teachers’ Day fact sheet sheds more light on ever-evolving trends in the teaching profession and examines how to cultivate collective thinking.

Informing policy creation through knowledge products and reports

The vast knowledge produced by the network continued to spearhead advocacy campaigns and played an influential role in informing political decisions aimed at improving teacher conditions, beginning with further dissemination of the 2024 Global Report on Teachers. The TTF successfully launched the Portuguese version of the report in Brasília and the Spanish version through three national launches in Madrid, Seville and Valencia, as well as a regional launch in Chile for Latin America, strengthening advocacy efforts at both regional and national level. In parallel, work advanced on the forthcoming 2026 edition through Editorial Board meetings.

New evidence also emerged this year, such as Costing and financing the teaching profession: A strategic investment in education, a paper offering strategic guidance for governments and education stakeholders on funding the profession. Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence and its quick guide are that support understanding of major advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and how these can be adapted to teachers’ needs. Both papers set the course for the future of the education agenda, highlighting strategies to finance the teaching profession and analyzing the role of AI in classrooms.

Developed in line with World Teachers’ Day 2025, the World Teachers’ Day fact sheet, published by the TTF and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), highlights new trends and data related to the teaching profession and how these insights can support continuous professional development.

The TTF further contributed to knowledge generation through its participation in the APPRENDRE international seminar in Dakar in October 2025, where the Secretariat shared key highlights from a forthcoming paper on Teacher Management Information Systems (TMIS) in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the role of reliable teacher data in supporting effective planning and evidence-based policymaking.

Continuing to advocate for inclusive education

Inclusive education was a major theme in the work of the TTF this year, playing a part in multiple events, such as the Global Disability Summit and International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The advocacy campaign Teachers without limits: Voices we must hear, leaders we must follow, led by the TTF’s Thematic Group on Inclusion and Equity in Teacher Policies and Practices, exemplified member-led collaboration by amplifying the leadership and lived experiences of teachers with disabilities through blogs, interviews and social media.

In parallel, the TTF continued its engagement in youth-led advocacy around the Santiago Consensus, ensuring sustained attention to its core messages on inclusive and equitable education.

Supporting teacher policies at a national and regional level

The Teacher Policy Development Guide (TPDG) continued to support evidence-informed teacher policies, helping ensure that every learner is taught by qualified, trained and well-supported teachers. Regional webinars included a policy learning webinar in the Asia-Pacific region, co-organized with INRULED, focused on rural teacher policies and lessons from implementation, as well as a regional webinar for Arab States – facilitated by RCQE – on the costing and financing of teacher policies, with insights feeding into the development of new TPDG modules.

Looking ahead at 2026

With all the transformative work from 2025 paving the way, the year ahead will continue to foster inclusive, equitable, and quality opportunities for teachers through policy dialogues, reports, advocacy campaigns, and global events. Major milestones will include the release of the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan and the next edition of the Global Report on Teachers, as well as ongoing dissemination and contextualization of the Santiago Consensus.

The TTF offers a warm thank you to its members and partners for their collaboration and unwavering support towards realizing SDG 4. As we embark on a new year, it is critical to recognize the contributions of the network and commitment to bettering the teaching profession.

To learn more about the many accomplishments of the TTF and its members this past year, explore our blogs and subscribe to our newsletter.

2026 upcoming highlights:

The next edition of the Global Report on Teachers, highlighting professional development and lifelong learning for educators;
The release of the 2026-2029 TTF Strategic Plan;
Continuation of the #TeachersMissing campaign with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa;
The 15th Teacher Policy Dialogue Forum hosted by Saudi Arabia;
Ongoing dissemination of the Santiago Consensus.

Author

International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Geographic topic

Image

Topic

Teacher education / Continuing professional development

Teacher shortages

Inclusion

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Financing

Peer collaboration

Presentation of the highlights of the Arabic Global Report on Teachers 2024 at the International Conference on the Teaching Profession in Oman

Jack McNeill — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:22:41 +0000

Presentation of the highlights of the Arabic Global Report on Teachers 2024 at the International Conference on the Teaching Profession in Oman Jack McNeill Thu, 01/15/2026 - 14:22

The International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 will participate in the International Conference on the Teaching Profession, held in the Sultanate of Oman under the theme “Sustainable Teaching in the Era of AI”. The conference convenes ministers, international organizations, and education experts to discuss the future of the teaching profession in the context of rapid technological change.

Carlos Vargas, Head of the TTF Secretariat, will present the highlights of the Arabic version of the 2024 UNESCO–Teacher Task Force Global Report on Teachers - co-published with the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE) - during the high-level session on international education reports, with a focus on addressing teacher shortages, transforming the profession, and advancing the Santiago Consensus outcomes from the World Teachers’ Summit.

The programme also includes keynote sessions on education and AI, contributions from OECD and the World Bank, and the launch of the Arabic Global Education Monitoring Report, highlighting the role of international evidence and cooperation in strengthening education systems.

Dates

Wed, 02/04/2026 - 09:00 - Thu, 02/05/2026 - 18:00

Geographic topic

Topic

Ministry of Education of the Sultanate of Oman

Asia/Muscat

Event type

Conference

Costing and financing the teaching profession: A strategic investment in education

Allison Engkvist — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 12:11:15 +0000

Costing and financing the teaching profession: A strategic investment in education Allison Engkvist Mon, 09/08/2025 - 13:11

This paper has been developed to inform discussions at the World Summit on Teachers (2025). It examines the challenges and opportunities involved in sustainably costing and financing the teaching profession, with a focus on salary structures, workload, international aid, and innovative financing. Drawing on global data and country case studies, it highlights the critical role of domestic resource mobilisation, the risks of overreliance on external and short-term funding, and the promises of progressive fiscal reforms. The paper concludes with actionable policy recommendations to align teacher financing with broader education and equity goals. This paper is intended for government officials, education planners, administrators and policymakers, particularly those in ministries of education, finance, and planning, who are responsible for budget allocation, fiscal policy, and education sector reform. It is also aimed at development partners and international financial institutions, teacher unions, civil society organizations and the broader audience interested in the topic.

A document summarizing the key messages of the paper is also available here.

Financing

Teacher education / Continuing professional development

Teacher shortages

Document

394919eng.pdf (1.16 MB)

Year of publication

2025

Report

Country of publication

Geographic topic

International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Authors

UNESCO,

is public

Session on teachers at the Right to Education Symposium

Jack McNeill — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 10:46:13 +0000

Session on teachers at the Right to Education Symposium Jack McNeill Fri, 11/28/2025 - 10:46

A dedicated session on teachers will take place on 9 December 2025 as part of the International Symposium on the Future of the Right to Education at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Entitled "Teachers, educators and the right to education: expanding boundaries", the session will explore how teachers’ rights and working conditions are fundamental to realising the right to education.

The session will feature contributions from Teacher Task Force members, including representatives of the International Labour Organization, the Ministry of Education of Oman, and Education International, offering insights from labour, government and union perspectives.

Drawing on evidence from the Global Report on Teachers (UNESCO & TTF, 2024) and the Santiago Consensus, the session will address the global teacher shortage - 44 million teachers needed by 2030 - and the structural issues driving attrition, such as poor working conditions, limited autonomy and insufficient professional development. It will examine how teachers’ professional rights, from fair pay to agency and lifelong learning, form an integral part of the broader right to education, particularly in light of UNESCO’s ongoing revision of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation and the 1997 Recommendation on Higher Education Teaching Personnel.

The programme will begin with scene-setting inputs based on global evidence, followed by a panel discussion bringing together TTF member representatives and other experts from governments, unions and academia. An interactive dialogue will invite participants to reflect on priorities and actions for strengthening teacher rights, before the session closes with key messages to inform the symposium’s wider recommendations.

The discussion will contribute to shaping future directions for reinforcing teacher-related dimensions of the right to education within global normative frameworks.

Click here for more information about the event.

Dates

Tue, 12/09/2025 - 15:00 - Tue, 12/09/2025 - 16:30

Geographic topic

Topic

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Teacher shortages

UNESCO

Event type

Conference

Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence: A quick guide to the Teacher Task Force position paper

Jack McNeill — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:11:29 +0000

Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence: A quick guide to the Teacher Task Force position paper Jack McNeill Thu, 11/20/2025 - 14:11

This document presents the key messages of the Teacher Task Force position paper Promoting and Protecting Teacher Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, which explores how AI is reshaping education and what it means for teachers. Co-created with the Teacher Task Force’s global community, the paper articulates a collective vision for ensuring that AI strengthens teacher agency and upholds the human dimension of education. It also serves as a catalyst for action, offering practical recommendations to help policymakers, educators, and partners shape ethical, inclusive, and teacher-centred approaches to AI.

Futures of teaching

Document

1150_25_TTF WEB.pdf (510.12 KB)

Year of publication

2025

Brochure / Flyer

Country of publication

Geographic topic

International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030,

Authors

Digital Promise

is public

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Every teacher matters

Allison Engkvist — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:07:23 +0000

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Every teacher matters Allison Engkvist Mon, 11/17/2025 - 10:07

Every teacher matters - Teachers with disabilities are drivers of inclusive education

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, join us for an online dialogue on the contributions, challenges, and empowerment strategies of teachers with disabilities.

Teachers play a vital role in shaping inclusive classrooms. By bringing unique perspectives and fostering diverse learning environments, teachers with disabilities enrich the learning process and serve as powerful role models for inclusion. Despite their importance, they often face significant barriers to full participation and recognition within education systems.

Join us on 3 December at 13:30 (CET) for this important conversation:
Click here to register for the online dialogue
Interpretation will be available in English, French, Spanish and International sign language

Dates

Wed, 12/03/2025 - 13:30 - Wed, 12/03/2025 - 15:00

Online

Topic

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

UNESCO
The International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Europe/Paris

Event type

Webinar

Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence

Jack McNeill — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:03:10 +0000

Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence Jack McNeill Tue, 09/02/2025 - 15:03

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the educational landscape, it is critical to emphasize the irreplaceability of teachers and the role of human connection in classrooms. AI presents both opportunities and challenges to teaching and learning, but it cannot substitute the many necessary social dimensions of education, such as ethical reasoning, critical thinking, and empathy. If used correctly, AI has the potential to empower teachers and ensure quality and sustainable education for all. The International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 developed this position paper with the goal of catalyzing deeper policy dialogue, exploring the possibilities AI holds, and advocating for the protection and re-valorization of teachers

Teacher innovation

Teacher quality

Teacher education / Continuing professional development

Document

1149_25_Promoting and Protecting Teacher Agency_FINAL_3Sep.pdf (453.09 KB)

Year of publication

2025

Policy brief

Country of publication

Geographic topic

International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030

Authors

is public

Costing and financing the teaching profession: A strategic investment in education - Key messages

Jack McNeill — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 14:25:38 +0000

Costing and financing the teaching profession: A strategic investment in education - Key messages Jack McNeill Wed, 11/12/2025 - 14:25

This document presents the key messages from the paper 'Costing and financing the teaching profession: A strategic investment in education'.

The paper examines the challenges and opportunities in sustainably costing and financing the teaching profession, with a focus on salary structures, workload, international aid, and innovative financing mechanisms. Drawing on global data and country case studies, it highlights the critical role of domestic resource mobilization, the risks of overreliance on external and short-term funding, and the promises of progressive fiscal reforms. The paper concludes with actionable policy recommendations to align teacher financing with broader education and equity goals.

It was presented at the World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile in August 2025, informing the discussions of the SDG 4 High-Level Steering Committee.

Financing

Futures of teaching

Document

Flyer_KeyMessages 3.pdf (568.69 KB)

Year of publication

2025

Brochure / Flyer

Geographic topic