Teacher policies

Event
  • 22.10.2025

TTF Position Paper Launch: Promoting and Protecting Teacher Agency in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping education, with far-reaching implications for both teaching and learning. While AI offers opportunities to support teachers and enrich pedagogical practices, it also raises risks of eroding teacher professionalism and the human dimensions of education. Recognizing the irreplaceable role of teachers, the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 has developed the position paper Promoting and Protecting Teacher Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

Developed under the coordination of the TTF Thematic Group on Digital Education and AI, co-chaired by MESHGuides and Digital Promise, the paper draws on extensive in-person and online consultations with the TTF membership and a wide range of stakeholders across all levels of education, reflecting diverse perspectives and common concerns. It is conceived as a starting point to spark deeper policy dialogue and to shape evidence-informed positions that can guide decision-making in this fast-evolving field.

This session will bring together members and partners to deepen the conversation and explore how to translate its messages into practice. It will also be the opportunity to present the quick guide to the paper, which distils the paper's key takeaways for teachers, school leaders and policymakers.


Objectives of the session

  • Present and promote the new TTF position paper and its accompanying communications product, designed to make key messages accessible to policymakers, practitioners and advocates.
  • Showcase TTF member initiatives and explore how frameworks and evidence on AI can inform concrete, teacher-centred implementation and training.
  • Engage participants in dialogue and reflection to generate actionable insights on reinforcing teacher agency in the age of AI.


About the session

The 90-minute workshop will feature insights from the authors and contributors of the position paper, including Carlos Vargas (TTF Secretariat, UNESCO), April Williamson (Digital Promise) and Sarah Younie (MESHGuides), who will share the rationale behind the paper, its key findings, and a new four-page communications product designed for wider outreach.

Members such as the European Training Foundation (ETF) and UNESCO will then showcase ongoing work and future plans to support teachers’ meaningful engagement with AI — from digital innovation in low-connectivity contexts to new professional development approaches.

An interactive discussion will invite participants to reflect on the biggest challenges and opportunities teachers face in the age of AI, helping shape the future agenda of the TTF’s Digital and AI Thematic Group and its upcoming activities in 2026.

The webinar will be held via Zoom, with interpretation in English, French and Spanish.


Register for the event here.

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Event
  • 22.10.2025

TTF Position Paper Launch: Promoting and Protecting Teacher Agency in the Age of AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping education, with far-reaching implications for both teaching and learning. While AI offers opportunities to support teachers and enrich pedagogical practices, it also raises risks of eroding teacher professionalism and the human dimensions of education. Recognizing the irreplaceable role of teachers, the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 has developed the position paper Promoting and Protecting Teacher Agency in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.

Developed under the coordination of the TTF Thematic Group on Digital Education and AI, co-chaired by MESHGuides and Digital Promise, the paper draws on extensive in-person and online consultations with the TTF membership and a wide range of stakeholders across all levels of education, reflecting diverse perspectives and common concerns. It is conceived as a starting point to spark deeper policy dialogue and to shape evidence-informed positions that can guide decision-making in this fast-evolving field.

This session will bring together members and partners to deepen the conversation and explore how to translate its messages into practice. It will also be the opportunity to present the quick guide to the paper, which distils the paper's key takeaways for teachers, school leaders and policymakers.


Objectives of the session

  • Present and promote the new TTF position paper and its accompanying communications product, designed to make key messages accessible to policymakers, practitioners and advocates.
  • Showcase TTF member initiatives and explore how frameworks and evidence on AI can inform concrete, teacher-centred implementation and training.
  • Engage participants in dialogue and reflection to generate actionable insights on reinforcing teacher agency in the age of AI.


About the session

The 90-minute workshop will feature insights from the authors and contributors of the position paper, including Carlos Vargas (TTF Secretariat, UNESCO), April Williamson (Digital Promise) and Sarah Younie (MESHGuides), who will share the rationale behind the paper, its key findings, and a new four-page communications product designed for wider outreach.

Members such as the European Training Foundation (ETF) and UNESCO will then showcase ongoing work and future plans to support teachers’ meaningful engagement with AI — from digital innovation in low-connectivity contexts to new professional development approaches.

An interactive discussion will invite participants to reflect on the biggest challenges and opportunities teachers face in the age of AI, helping shape the future agenda of the TTF’s Digital and AI Thematic Group and its upcoming activities in 2026.

The webinar will be held via Zoom, with interpretation in English, French and Spanish.


Register for the event here.

Read more
Event
  • 07.10.2025

Ideas and Practices in Education Forum: Towards a new social contract to transform the teaching profession

On 8 October 2025, UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic (MINERD) will host in Santo Domingo the second national meeting of the Ideas and Practices in Education Forum, Colaboratorio de Ideas y Prácticas en Educación: hacia un nuevo contrato social para transformar la profesión docente, held as part of World Teachers’ Day celebrations.

The event will bring together education authorities, academics, civil society and international organizations to discuss the findings and recommendations of UNESCO’s first Global Report on Teachers and to identify concrete actions to strengthen the teaching profession in the country.

It will also present the outcomes of the 2025 World Summit on Teachers, notably the Santiago Consensus, and explore research and policy priorities to improve teachers’ working conditions in the Dominican Republic, in line with SDG 4 and the Ten-Year Education Plan “Horizonte 2034.”

📍 Venue: United Nations House, La Esperilla, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
📅 Date: 8 October 2025

👉 Please see the concept note and programme for the event (in Spanish) at this link.

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Event
  • 07.10.2025

Ideas and Practices in Education Forum: Towards a new social contract to transform the teaching profession

On 8 October 2025, UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the Dominican Republic (MINERD) will host in Santo Domingo the second national meeting of the Ideas and Practices in Education Forum, Colaboratorio de Ideas y Prácticas en Educación: hacia un nuevo contrato social para transformar la profesión docente, held as part of World Teachers’ Day celebrations.

The event will bring together education authorities, academics, civil society and international organizations to discuss the findings and recommendations of UNESCO’s first Global Report on Teachers and to identify concrete actions to strengthen the teaching profession in the country.

It will also present the outcomes of the 2025 World Summit on Teachers, notably the Santiago Consensus, and explore research and policy priorities to improve teachers’ working conditions in the Dominican Republic, in line with SDG 4 and the Ten-Year Education Plan “Horizonte 2034.”

📍 Venue: United Nations House, La Esperilla, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
📅 Date: 8 October 2025

👉 Please see the concept note and programme for the event (in Spanish) at this link.

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Blog
  • 02.10.2025

Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence: What you need to know

Promoting and protecting teacher agency in the age of artificial intelligence, a new position paper produced by the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (TTF), aims to shed light on the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in reshaping the education landscape while maintaining teachers’ agency, dignity, and professional autonomy.  

To ensure the position paper reflected the multiple and diverse perspectives of the TTF membership, it underwent several rounds of consultation with actors from different backgrounds. Feedback was collected through written surveys and direct comments on the draft, in-person exchanges at the Global Teacher Campus workshop during the Global Education Coalition Annual Meeting, and an online consultation led by the TTF’s Digital and AI Thematic Group, co-led by MESHGuides and Digital Promise. This inclusive process and the combined guidance of the thematic group co-leads and the TTF Secretariat played an instrumental role in providing concrete insights for the development of the paper. 

What are the key findings regarding AI in the teaching profession? 

AI offers both significant opportunities and complex challenges for education systems worldwide, and as its development is rapidly accelerating, it is important to move the discourse beyond polarizing narratives of dystopian fears and utopian promises. AI can support teachers in planning, assessment, and inclusive education, but without proper training, ethical safeguards, and systemic support, its benefits might become risks. Ultimately, AI should enhance the teaching profession and not replace it, as teaching remains a deeply human act rooted in empathy, judgement, and relationship that AI cannot replicate.  

What are AI’s implications for teachers? 

The relationship between AI and teachers can be reduced to three categories: teaching with AI, teaching about AI, and adapting teaching to a world where AI is ubiquitous. Teaching with AI has shown to be beneficial for teachers, allowing them to provide personalized learning experiences and improve students’ learning outcomes, as well as reducing workloads and supporting creative processes; however, the evidence base is still weak. As AI permeates society, it is crucial to emphasize the irreplaceability of teachers and that AI is not a substitute for teachers but a powerful augmentative tool. Teachers need to be equipped with the skills, ethical awareness and agency to shape how and when AI is integrated into the classroom. 

How are teachers using AI? 

AI is capable of counteracting resource shortages, allowing overburdened teachers in underserved areas to continue providing instructional support. This includes using tools that support special education needs, as well as translation and content generation in local languages. At the same time, teachers also use AI as a functional aid for generating personalized feedback and automating routine tasks, such as grading, planning, and content delivery. However, these applications remain largely functional and focused on automating tasks, rather than driving deeper pedagogical transformation. 

What are the benefits of AI for teachers? 

 When integrated thoughtfully, AI can: 

  • Free up time from routine tasks, allowing teachers to focus more on pedagogy, student engagement, and wellbeing. 
  • Provide real-time insights into student progress and familiarize teachers with their needs. 
  • Generate high-quality resources and adaptive learning materials. 
  • Support inclusive education for learners with disabilities or language barriers through multimodal formats. 
  • Strengthen subject-specific teaching (e.g. STEM) through simulations, virtual labs, and adaptive tools. 

What risks does AI pose for teachers? 

While AI offers opportunities, it also brings important risks. The most pressing ones include: 

  • Contribute to the de-professionalization of teaching, as teachers risk losing essential skills if tasks such as lesson planning or providing feedback are increasingly outsourced to AI. 
  • Undermine teachers’ professional autonomy when standardized AI protocols are prioritized over their creativity, judgment, and contextual knowledge. 
  • Enable increased surveillance and misuse of data, with performance monitoring applied in punitive rather than supportive ways. 
  • Weaken the human dimension of education, as overreliance on AI risks devaluing teacher–student relationships and the development of social and emotional skills. 
  • Drive harmful standardization, sidelining diversity, local knowledge, and cultural responsiveness in teaching and learning. 
  • Deepen digital divides, leaving behind teachers who lack the infrastructure, training, or equitable access needed to benefit from AI. 

What are the key recommendations for using AI in classrooms? 

Implementing AI in classrooms requires strategic navigation. Recommendations include: 

  1. Reaffirm the irreplaceable role of teachers in education: Governments and education stakeholders must commit unequivocally to the irreplaceability of teachers, emphasizing that AI systems must support, not substitute, core teacher responsibilities. 
  2. Promote and protect teachers’ professional competencies: Policies must encourage models of AI implementation that promote and protect teachers’ professional competencies while supporting teacher collaboration and innovation through professional networks and communities of practice. 
  3. Evaluate AI’s impact and promote human-centred pedagogies: AI should not automate poor practices of education, but encourage innovative pedagogies, emphasising human-centred approaches. 
  4. Safeguard diversity and prevent AI from standardising education: Education standards must require AI tools to be culturally responsive and adaptable while supporting diverse education needs. 
  5. Promote transparent, sustainable, and ethical AI governance: Education policymakers should enforce clear ethical standards and transparency in AI technologies deployed in schools, ensuring that teachers fully understand AI decision-making processes and implications. 
  6. Ensure equitable access and prevent AI-driven educational inequality: To avoid exacerbating existing disparities, policies must aim to bridge the digital divide by investing in technological infrastructure, tailored digital literacy programmes, and equitable resource distribution across the globe. 
  7. Promote international cooperation and solidarity: Leveraging AI in education and filling the digital divide requires cooperation from global networks, including the Education 2030 SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee, TTF, the Global Education Coalition, and Borad Band Commission.  

Policymakers, education leaders, teacher unions, and other stakeholders are urged to reaffirm the invaluable role of teachers in education when engaging with the development of AI. Continuing to promote teachers’ professional competencies is of the upmost importance, which can be achieved through implementing comprehensive AI competency frameworks, supporting teacher collaboration via professional network, and promoting human-centred pedagogies. Above all, AI usage must be transparent, sustainable, ethical, and equitable.  

Read more: 

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Meeting document
  • pdf
  • 10.09.2025
  • ES

Santiago Consensus

The World Summit on Teachers, hosted by UNESCO and the Government of Chile, successfully took place in Santiago de Chile on 28-29 of August, culminating in the adoption of the Santiago Consensus...
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Event
  • 09.09.2025

2025 IIEP Strategic Debate #3: Reducing the teacher gap and planning for equitable teaching

Teachers are at the heart of the learning process and play a critical role in reducing learning inequalities. Yet, according to UNESCO, an estimated 44 million teachers are still required to reach the goal of universal primary and secondary education by 2030, including 15 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Despite this clear need, education authorities continue to struggle with attracting and keeping qualified teachers. 

This debate will review techniques and policies currently piloted in different contexts to reduce the teacher gap, improve teacher professional development, and plan for more equitable teaching, building on recent research produced on the topic.

Moderator:

  • Martín Benavides, Director, UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO)

Speakers:

  • Shem Okore Bodo, Senior Programs Officer, Association for the Development of Education in Africa
  • Gregory Elacqua, Principal Economist in the Education Division, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Dhir Jhingran, Founder Director, Language and Learning Foundation
  • Kraiyos Patrawart, Managing Director, Equitable Education Fund
  • Barbara Tournier, Programme Specialist, IIEP-UNESCO

Register for the event here.

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Event
  • 09.09.2025

Rural teachers in the Asia Pacific region: lessons learnt from policy implementation webinar

Please note that this event is invite only.

As nations strengthen their teacher policies, the specific conditions of rural teachers necessitate targeted policy attention. As recognized by SDG 4, teachers are fundamental for facilitating access to inclusive, equitable and quality education, with goal 4.C appealing for significant increases in teacher supply numbers. Across rural and remote contexts, education systems are struggling to attract and retain qualified teachers, whilst navigating the complex and resource constrained contexts.

To facilitate sustained progress in supporting the rural teacher workforce, TTF and INRULED are hosting a policy learning webinar for members in the Asia-Pacific region, to share knowledge regarding established and promising rural teacher policies. This session will strengthen engagement with the issues of rural teachers, prior to the official publication of the Rural Teachers Module in the Teacher Policy Development Guide (TPDG).

Webinar objectives:

  • Acknowledge and discuss the specific challenges and needs of rural teachers.

  • Generate recognition across Asia-Pacific Member States for the specific inclusion of rural/remote teacher policy attention across teacher policies.

  • Encourage meaningful exchange of rural/remote teacher policies, initiatives and schemes between speakers and participants. Share knowledge and good practices to encourage the development of sustainable rural/remote teacher policies.

  • Identify actionable solutions and policy directions that can be integrated into broader teacher policies, which address the complex issues found across rural education structures.

Key speakers:

Key speakers for the event will be announced here soon.

Register for the event here.

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