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  • 28.02.2024

UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession puts forward recommendations to allow teachers to become drivers of change in education

This is the UN press release released on 26 February 2024 on the occasion of the launch of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession during the Teacher Task Force 14th Policy Dialogue Forum.


Recommendations from the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, aimed at transforming the future of the teaching profession, were launched today at the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (TTF).

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,: said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Building on the landmark UN Summit on Transforming Education in 2022 and supported jointly by the ILO and UNESCO, the High-Level Panel’s recommendations are based on six core imperatives, covering dignity, humanity, diversity, equity and inclusion, quality, innovation and leadership and sustainability.

The High-Level Panel’s wide-ranging recommendations are premised on the need to value and respect the teaching profession – this requires decent working conditions, competitive wages, space for teacher voice in decision-making and opportunities for development and innovation,” said Paula Mae Weekes, Co-Chair of the Panel and former President of Trinidad and Tobago.

The recommendations are intended to create an enabling environment that allows teachers to become drivers of change in education, who can help learners critically navigate knowledge and gain the skills and competencies needed in today’s world. Teachers should not be simple conveyers of information but active and collaborative partners for learners, the Panel noted. Adequate financing of education systems and effective integration of technology for learning were cross-cutting themes in the development of the recommendations.

Technology holds tremendous potential for both teaching and learning so long as it is put to use in ways that are supportive of teacher inputs over its pedagogical use, the integrity of the profession and is equitably integrated,” said Kersti Kaljulaid, Co-Chair of the Panel and former President of Estonia.

With new data from UNESCO showing that some 44 million primary and secondary teachers will be needed by 2030 to reach Sustainable Development Goal targets on education, issues of teacher working conditions, wages, autonomy, initial training and continuous professional development all featured heavily on discussions of teacher recruitment and retention. Panellists condemned the use of precarious teaching contracts and austerity policies that undermine teacher working conditions and the quality of education. Further recommendations relate to ensuring gender equity, promoting sustainable development and supporting teacher leadership. A push for greater diversity and inclusion in the teaching workforce, as well as greater social dialogue among partners on both the national and international levels were highlighted.

The full report of the High-Level Panel can be found here.

About:

The High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession was established by the UN Secretary-General in response to challenges facing the teaching profession and education systems worldwide, and as a key follow-up to the UN Transforming Education Summit of 2022.  The panel was supported jointly by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The 18 panel members include government ministers of education and labour, representatives of teacher trade unions, academics, civil society leaders and teachers and students representing every continent.

More information is available here: www.ilo.org/global/industries-and-sectors/education/teaching-profession

Media Contacts (interviews available upon request)

ILO: newsroom@ilo.org

UNESCO: Clare O’Hagan, c.o-hagan@unesco.org , +33145681729

News
  • 05.10.2023

Teacher shortages are a global challenge: Why improving the attractiveness of the profession is critical to ensure the SDGs are achieved

This blog was published on 5 October 2023 on the occasion of World Teachers' Day.

Education systems across the world face an ongoing teacher shortage. Increasing workloads, difficult working conditions and low salaries are helping to decrease the prestige of the profession, globally. These concerns result in fewer graduates wanting to enter the profession and often drive those already in the classroom to other jobs.

World Teachers’ Day 2023 focuses on reversing shortages by emphasizing teaching as a dignified and valued profession at the top of the global Education 2030 agenda and as one of the key levers for achieving SDG 4. As part of the activities and materials advocating for the critical role played by teachers, the Fact sheet for World Teachers’ Day 2023 analyses global data and trends to provide new projections of the teachers that need to be recruited as well as unpack the issue of teacher attrition. Understanding the scope and underlying challenges that cause teachers to leave the profession can serve as a launching point to estimate future teacher needs and to drive the development of teaching into a more attractive career in support of longer-term sustainability.

New projections estimate 44 million additional teachers are needed globally to meet universal primary and secondary education in 2030

The number of teachers needed globally has reduced significantly since estimates in 2016 placed the number at 69 million teachers. However, halfway through the SDG era the current pace falls well short of achieving goals set for 2030. For every additional teacher since 2016, two more are needed.

Sub-Saharan Africa has especially faced challenges meeting targets. The region needs approximately 15 million more teachers, which is only 2 million less than in 2016. Northern Africa and Western Asia (4.3 million) and South-eastern Asia (4.5 million) are also unlikely to hit their goals given current estimates. Meanwhile, Eastern Asia (3.4 million) and Southern Asia (7.8 million) have reduced projected need by nearly half since 2016, but urgent action is still required to meet 2030 targets. Globally we need to increase the number of teachers by 50% by 2030.

Teacher gaps can stem from either needing to fill newly created posts or replacing vacant positions caused by attrition. In sub-Saharan Africa, growing populations mean that 63 per cent of the teacher gap is due to the need for staffing new teaching positions. In regions such as Europe and Northern America (4.8 million more teachers) or Latin America and the Caribbean (3.2 million), anticipated attrition accounts for the vast majority of teacher shortages- 94 and 89 per cent of all needs, respectively.

Attrition is difficult to track, but the estimated rates recently doubled at the primary level

Many countries do not report enough data to estimate attrition rates for all regions. For example, UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics (UIS) only includes inputs from 79 countries at the primary level and 48 at the upper secondary level between 2012–2022 (UIS, 2023). For countries that do produce estimates, interpreting the data can be problematic due to teachers re-entering the profession soon after leaving or moving to different schools or districts within a country (UNESCO, 2023).

UIS does make global estimations when enough information is available. Estimates from 2022 at the primary level put attrition rates at 9.06 per cent this means that attrition nearly doubled since 2015. Regional comparisons of teacher attrition are difficult to achieve due to a lack of data and year-to-year fluctuations.

Attrition rates can also vary within countries at different levels of education and from year to year (see Figure 1). Many factors can lead to this variation, including schools or districts in remote locations or facing emergency situations - which can put added stressors on teachers (Falk et al., 2019).

Figure 1. Teacher attrition rates in primary, lower secondary and upper secondary, 2022 or most recent

Source: UIS, 2023.
Source: UIS, 2023.

Men are more likely to leave teaching than women and younger teachers leave teaching at higher rates

In general, male teachers leave the teaching profession at a higher rate than their female colleagues. For example, global male attrition rates in 2021 were 9.2 per cent for primary teachers compared to 4.2 per cent for female primary teachers. At the lower secondary level, males had an 5.9 per cent attrition rate while the female rate was 5.6 per cent (UIS, 2023).

The causes of men leaving the profession vary by context, but they often have more employment opportunities than women in other fields such as construction, business or manufacturing. Teaching at lower levels of education is also often viewed culturally as a profession for women. In 2022, women made up 94 per cent of pre-primary teachers and 68 per cent of primary teachers globally (UNESCO, 2022).

In some circumstances, women do leave the profession more often than men. The causes again vary, but some reasons can include unsafe or unsanitary working conditions or negative views on women’s role in the workforce (UNESCO, 2022).

Few countries track data about when teachers leave the profession, but some studies show that younger teachers are more apt to leave the profession than older ones. An OECD study found that across systems, attrition rates were much higher for teachers younger than age 35 than those aged 35 to 54. Young teachers may leave the profession for a variety of reasons, but many cite low hours or poor leadership as factors (OECD, 2021).

COVID-19 enhanced stressors already present in the teaching profession

The pandemic and subsequent school closures caused stressful working conditions for teachers, with surveys showing increased fatigue and the growing need for support for teacher well-being. This led to widespread reports of teacher shortages, increased absenteeism around the world and trends on social media demonstrating low morale.

While global attention on teacher shortages grew during the pandemic, studies showed patterns of teacher shortages well before COVID-19 closed a single school. In Latin America and the Caribbean, enrolment rates in initial teacher education programmes remained flat from 2015 to 2020 even though teacher shortages persisted in the region during this time.

More recently, trends are still emerging post-COVID as data continue to be collected. Some localized reports have shown that attrition rates dipped during the height of school closures, returning to near pre-pandemic levels or slightly above in the years since. Other surveys show that attrition could soon rise in some contexts, with only 59 per cent of teachers in England (United Kingdom) expecting to still be teaching in 3 years compared to approximately 75 per cent before the pandemic.

Attrition can have wide-ranging impacts

Teacher attrition can have adverse effects on students, other teachers or even entire educations systems. Studies have found that more experienced teachers not only positively impact student test scores, but they also can help improve behaviour and lower absences. When a high number of teachers leave, those remaining may have to pick up extra classes or face larger class sizes. Research in Rwanda found that high rates of turnover led to 21 per cent of teachers teaching in subjects for which they had no training. At the system level, attrition can cause a constant churn of training new teachers, adding extra costs and complexity to teacher management.

Factors that drive teachers away

Many different factors can cause teacher attrition, including low pay, poor working conditions or personal and demographic factors such as an older teaching force nearing retirement. This is the case for example in Italy and in Lithuania where more than half of primary teachers are at least 50 years old.

Low salaries can especially lessen the prestige of a teaching career. And yet, about 50 per cent or more of countries globally pay primary teachers less than professions requiring a similar level of qualifications. Many high-income countries pay upper secondary teachers less than 75 per cent of what comparable professions make, while some teachers in low-income countries live at or near the poverty line.

Poor working conditions, which can range from a lack of supplies to poor leadership to too many administrative chores, can also increase stress and push teachers out of the job. Surveys have found that teachers who experience ‘a lot’ of stress at work are more than twice as likely to want to leave teaching in the next five years.

Policy responses will need to consider local and regional factors driving teachers from the profession to best improve retention rates in each context. The data and analyses presented can enable countries to develop improved policies that ensure the dignity and value of teaching as well as support and sustain qualified teacher workforces.

Building on the outcomes of the Transforming Education Summit in September 2022, the United Nations Secretary-General announced the establishment of a High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession. Supported by a joint UNESCO – International Labour Organization (ILO) Secretariat, the Panel drew together ministries, teachers, students, unions, civil society, the private sector, and academia. The Panel’s report will serve as a contribution to broader efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4, as an input to ongoing preparations for the 2024 Summit of the Future and help advance follow-up on the Transforming Education Summit.

Meanwhile, in 2024, UNESCO and the TTF will be publishing the first Global Report on Teachers solely dedicated to monitoring progress towards SDG 4.c with a thematic focus, new data and examples of good practice to address teacher shortages and improve the attractiveness of the profession.

Useful links:

 Photo credit: UNESCO/Diana Quintela

News
  • 26.02.2024

Transforming the teaching career to better address global teacher shortages

This blog was authored by David Childress, a senior consultant to the first Global Report on Teachers, launched during the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum, on 26 February 2024.


Teachers are at the heart of providing a quality education for all students. And yet, systems around the world continue to face shortages and struggle to attract and retain enough teachers. New projections show that 44 million additional teachers are needed globally to reach the goal of attaining universal primary and secondary education by 2030. Encouragingly, this number marks a significant decrease from the 69 million teachers projected by UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics in 2016. However, the ongoing gap remains about half the size of the existing teaching workforce. Some regions also continue to face large shortages, with sub-Saharan Africa requiring 15 million additional teachers by 2030 – or about one out of three of all teachers needed globally.

To help address the worldwide challenge of shortages, the Global Report on Teachers aims to support the international community in making progress towards SDG 4’s aim of providing inclusive and equitable quality education for all. Initially, the report presents new projections and in-depth analysis to clearly place context around global teacher shortages. Based on this analysis, the report then offers policy solutions and implementation strategies to reverse these trends.

Overall, the Global Report on Teachers aligns with the High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession’s recommendations and six imperatives for the future of teaching: Humanity, Sustainability, Dignity, Teacher Quality, Innovation and leadership, and Equity. It also joins calls from the International Commission on the Future of Education and the 2022 Transforming Education Summit to valorise and diversify teaching, turning it into a more collaborative and innovative profession.

Putting teacher shortages into global context

Global teacher shortages stem from a combination of teacher attrition and the need to fill newly created teaching posts. Teacher attrition, or the number of personnel leaving the profession in a single year, accounts for 58 per cent of the projected teachers needed by 2030. Recent estimates have also shown that teacher attrition rates are on the rise, with global averages among primary teachers nearly doubling from 2015 to 2022, jumping from 4.62 to 9.06 per cent.

On the other hand, regions with rapidly growing populations have the highest rates of projected shortages due to newly created teaching positions (see Table 1). Systems with growing school age populations must then work to both retain the teachers they have while also increasing recruitment to meet growing need. This is especially vital for secondary schools, as 31 million teachers– or about 7 in 10– are needed at this level by 2030.

Table 1. Total teacher recruitment needs by region for 2030, by level (in thousands)

table
Source: UIS, 2024; UNESCO and Teacher Task Force, 2023
Note: m = missing data; Teacher numbers reflect 2022, except for South-Eastern Asia which reflect 2021, and Oceania, which reflect 2017.
 

SDG 4 remains an aspirational goal, but countries have also set national benchmarks to define their own targets based on context, starting point and pace of progress. These benchmarks project teacher need based on the estimated 84 million children (or about 5 per cent) that will remain out of school in 2030. Projections based off national benchmarks reduce the number of teachers needed globally by about 5 per cent at the primary level (12.3 million vs. nearly 13 million) and about 12 per cent at the secondary level (27.5 million vs. 31.1 million). While still ambitious, these benchmarks may offer some countries more achievable goals.

The multiple challenges associated with teacher shortages

The causes of teacher shortages are complex, due to a combination of factors such as motivation, recruitment, training, working conditions and even social status. Unattractive salaries and difficult working conditions can make teaching unappealing to both future and current teachers, leading to shortages in countries across all income levels. For example, results from TALIS 2018 showed that in participating countries, only 67 per cent of teachers reported that teaching was their primary career choice.

Teacher shortages can have wide-ranging consequences. High rates of attrition can directly impact students, as research has found that experience improves teacher performance relating to student test scores, absences and classroom behaviour. Schools experiencing high levels of shortages also face ongoing disruption and added demands throughout the year as they seek to recruit and train new colleagues. Vicious cycles can emerge in systems with lots of departures where systems struggle to keep up with constantly training and deploying new teachers.

Strategies to transform teaching and reduce shortages

Effective policies to address teacher shortages should form parts of a holistic strategy to improve the status and attractiveness of the profession. Initially, systems need to pay teachers an adequate salary. Globally, half of all countries pay primary teachers less than professions requiring similar qualifications while this reduces to 3 in 10 countries in Europe and North America. Systems should also strive to improve working conditions through policies that regulate working hours or involve teachers in more decision-making processes.

To continue to raise the prestige of teaching, systems need to find and recruit the right candidates that are drawn to teaching as a vocation or a calling. Workforces should also reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Developing gender equality is especially important, as women are often underrepresented in leadership roles while fewer men tend to work at lower levels of education.

Professionalizing a career in teaching can further raise its prestige and improve teacher motivation. This process may start by ensuring proper qualification frameworks and opportunities for all teachers, especially those working on temporary contracts. For example, efforts in Mexico and Indonesia have integrated large numbers of contract teachers into civil service positions. By providing attractive career pathways and access to quality professional development, systems can also better motivate teachers throughout their professional life.

Developing a new social contract for education could serve as the lynchpin to further raise the prestige of teaching moving forward. This process involves creating opportunities for collaboration, incorporating social dialogue, and promoting teacher innovation. These strategies allow teachers a larger voice in their profession, while also creating more communities of practice across local, national or even international levels.

Financing the teaching profession and fostering international cooperation

Adequately funding education is vital to combat teacher shortages, as the largest share of education budgets typically goes towards teacher salaries. Spending on teachers can reach up to 75 per cent of budgets in low-income countries. The Education 2030 Framework for Action established financing targets for governments of 4 to 6 per cent of GDP and 15 to 20 per cent of public expenditure allocated to education. Global averages for education spending were 4.2 per cent of GDP in 2021. However, there remain significant gaps in funding between country income groups, ranging from 5.0 in high-income countries in 2021 (latest year with data available) to 3.1 per cent in low-income countries in 2022.

International cooperation can play a key role in combatting spending disparities and work towards reducing global teacher shortages more generally. International aid partners can support teacher policies in collaboration with governments by providing financing, training or advocacy. Cooperation is also occurring more frequently through South-South or triangular cooperation, where Global South countries can pool and share resources to build capacities and develop self-reliance.

Based on its analyses and new findings, the Report proposes key six recommendations to address global teacher shortages and transform the profession, ensure sufficient teachers for universal education goals, accelerate SDG4 and target 4.c achievement, and advance the Education 2030 Agenda.

Links:

  • Read the Global Report on Teachers: Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession
  • Visit the event page of the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum

Report front cover credits:

© UNESCO/Ilan Godfrey; © UNESCO/Santiago Serrano; © UNESCO/Erika Piñeros; © UNESCO/Nadège Mazars; © UNESCO/Rehab Eldalil; © UNESCO/Anatolii Stepanov

Blog
  • 10.12.2024

Indonesia’s educational transformation: Investing in quality teachers for tomorrow

This blog was submitted by the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture in the framework of the Teacher Task Force #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign to showcase members’ good practices in addressing teacher shortages worldwide.  


The global teacher shortage crisis is fuelled by the profession’s lack of appeal and the rising number of teachers exiting the field. This jeopardises the quality of education for future generations.

In Indonesia, however, teaching is still a highly sought-after profession as it is seen as a pathway to social mobility due to the job security and stability that come with being a civil servant.

Indonesia’s cultural context also plays a significant role as many teachers are motivated by a deep sense of altruism, rooted in their strong religious and spiritual beliefs. They view teaching as part of their spiritual fulfillment and service to a higher power, resulting in eternal reward from the Almighty, both in this life and beyond.

However, bureaucratic hurdles and limited capacity for teacher certification have affected the quality of current teachers and restricted the potential of new ones entering the system.

In 2019, the country faced two significant challenges; 750,000 contract teachers and 1.6 million uncertified teachers. Indonesia's efforts to address these issues serve as a global model for tackling both the quantity and quality issues in education.

Merdeka Belajar: Tackling the two major challenges of diversity and complexity

The archipelago of Indonesia, made up of 17,000 islands, is home to 270 million people from 1,300 ethnic groups, speaking over 700 different languages. The islands, which span a distance of 5,200 km from east to west, include 50+ million students, 3+ million teachers, and 400,000+ schools.

The diversity and complexity of the country has created a long-standing educational crisis. To tackle this, the Ministry of Education launched Merdeka Belajar (Emancipated Learning) in 2019. The goal? To inspire a love of learning and critical thinking in students. The transformation included overhauling student assessments to focus more on skills, updating the curriculum to encourage deeper knowledge, and revising the teacher and principal career frameworks.

The latest national literacy and numeracy results, show the programmes have helped boost learning recovery with literacy improving by 14 per cent and numeracy by 27 per cent. These results were achieved by prioritising the improvement of existing schools and classroom conditions before allocating resources to improve the quality of new teachers.

Indonesia blog 1

 

Streamlining teacher recruitment, employment and certification 

In 2019, Indonesia’s schools needed to hire a million full-time teachers. But the roles were often filled by contract teachers, who lacked quality assurance. This problem stemmed from decentralisation in the early 2000s, which made it harder for local governments to appoint enough permanent teachers. As a result, schools hired contract teachers without proper training or assessment.

Additionally, the well-being of contract teachers was a concern, as their salaries were far below a living wage, which meant many had to take on two or three other jobs to make ends meet for themselves and their families. The central government recognised the need to raise the civil service professional standards to drive Indonesia’s overall development. In 2021, the government launched the ASN PPPK (Aparatur Sipil Negara Pegawai Pemerintah dengan Perjanjian Kerja) programme. This initiative aimed to simplify the complex teacher recruitment process and ensure that new teachers met set standards. A common framework for competency assessments was designed to streamline teacher selection, with room for adjustments based on the developmental status of each province and region.

The biggest hurdle was aligning the efforts of multiple ministries and agencies involved in HR, finance, and administrative tasks, particularly when it came to managing and verifying extensive databases. Consultations with regional agencies and focus groups identified issues in the hiring process that could be solved together. Effective communication and rapid escalation of problems helped achieve the shared vision. To date, 800,000 teachers have been hired as civil servants with job security, and Indonesia is confident it will meet its target of one million teachers by the end of 2024.

Digital innovation during the pandemic led to the adoption of new teacher training solutions

The pandemic provided an opportunity to tackle the challenge of 1.6 million uncertified teachers through digital innovations in teacher training. In the past, Indonesia could only certify around 40,000 teachers each year, while up to 80,000 retired annually, leaving a consistent gap. Certification used to be done in person by teacher training institutions, depending on the government’s budget and available trainers.

During the pandemic, the Ministry launched a digital platform for independent teacher learning, helping to roll out the new curriculum on a large scale. Building on the success of improving literacy and numeracy, the Ministry applied similar methods for a large online certification programme. This year, about 600,000 teachers participated, with another 700,000 expected next year. The digital format offers teachers flexibility, and quality is ensured through final assessments, just like those used for contract teachers. 

The biggest concern during this shift was the fear that training quality would drop by moving from face-to-face sessions to an online format. To ease these worries, teacher trainers were enlisted to help evaluate coursework and the final assessment.

Raising the bar for incoming teachers

Given the lessons learned from streamlining the teacher and civil service recruitment process and innovating teacher certification, Indonesia now has the capacity to raise the bar for incoming teachers, ensuring continuous improvement in teacher quality, which will in turn enhance student learning. 

The strong coordination between central and provincial agencies has also facilitated better planning for retiring teachers, allowing for future needs to be mapped out five years in advance. This enables the country to plan its recruitment and assessment cycles a year ahead. In 2022, Indonesia piloted the revised programme with 26,000 teachers and that increased to 31,000 and 73,500 in subsequent years with a goal of filling all roles of retiring teachers by 2026.

Indonesia plans to further support this by shifting the teacher training resources that were previously used for in-service certification. Revised regulations also provide more flexibility in selecting trainers from a vetted pool of school-based practitioners and master teachers. Other innovations to encourage classroom-based practice are also promoting school-based initial teacher training in remote and hard-to-fill regions of Indonesia.

The most important change, however, lies in the new teacher selection criteria, which align with Indonesia’s competency framework, focusing on aligning personal mission, fostering a sense of ownership and problem-solving mindset, perseverance, and, most importantly, the belief that all children can succeed with the right support. This is encapsulated by Ki Hajar Dewantara's quote: “Children live and grow according to their own nature. Educators can only nurture and guide the growth of that nature.” Often referred to as the Father of Indonesian Education, Dewantara played a pivotal role in Indonesia’s fight for independence and was a key inspiration behind the “Emancipated Learning” transformation.

A global model for teacher solutions

Indonesia’s efforts to address teacher shortages emphasize the importance of strong leadership, collaboration, and purposeful recruitment. Effective leadership within the Ministry of Education is crucial for making strategic decisions and implementing necessary changes. A collective commitment from all stakeholders, including government ministries, local authorities, and educational institutions, is essential to overcome administrative challenges and competing priorities. Additionally, recruitment strategies should focus on attracting individuals with a genuine passion for teaching, ensuring a resilient and dedicated workforce for the future.

Photo credit: Elfrida


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News
  • 04.03.2024

14th Policy Dialogue Forum - Addressing global teacher shortages

This article has been jointly authored by the Teacher Task Force and the Department of Basic Education of South Africa, following the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum which took place on 26-29 February 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa.


On behalf of the South African Government, the Department of Basic Education, UNESCO and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 (Teacher Task Force) jointly hosted approximately 400 participants from across the globe, attending the 14th Policy Dialogue Forum (PDF) from 26 to 28 February.

Education stakeholders from around the world gathered in Johannesburg for the Teacher Task Force's 14th Policy Dialogue Forum, themed; "Addressing teacher shortages: Dignifying, diversifying, and valorizing the profession."  The Forum brought together policymakers, educators, and renowned experts to tackle one of the most urgent challenges facing education systems worldwide.
 

Acknowledging the crucial role of educators

During the official opening address, Deputy President of South Africa, Mr. Paul Mashatile expressed gratitude to the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, “for recognising South Africa as a key player in the journey to achieving quality education for all by the year 2030.” Furthermore, he expressed the need for the crucial role of educators to be acknowledged.

“We need to acknowledge the inherent worth of teachers and the crucial role they play in shaping the future of our nations. Beside teaching and imparting knowledge to the future generation, teachers play a crucial role in nurturing, fostering critical thinking, inspiring dreams, and pushing the limits of human potential. We thus owe it to these titans of our society to recognise, honour, empower, and value them, as well as the job that they do.

Mashatile
Deputy President of South Africa, H.E. Mr. Paul Mashatile, delivers opening remarks on the first day of the Forum

"Most importantly, significant consideration must be made on how we should improve their working conditions and remuneration as a way of appreciating their hard work, so that they can be able to fulfil their important task without getting discouraged," said Deputy President, Mr. Paul Mashatile.

In her address to the Forum, Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education spoke on the importance of the Forum achieving its goals of making learning and teaching accessing and appealing for both educators and learners.

"The 14th Policy Dialogue Forum represents a pivotal moment for collaborative action in tackling global teacher shortages. As we gather to exchange knowledge and drive impactful solutions, this forum underscores our collective commitment to strengthening education systems worldwide, ensuring every learner has access to a qualified, motivated, and well-supported teacher," said Ms. Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education.

Giannini
Stefania Giannini, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, addresses the Forum during the opening session


A roadmap for transforming the teaching profession

The first day of the Forum featured the official launch of the Recommendations of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession, which sets out the roadmap for transforming the teaching profession and meeting the needs of the future.

Following the opening remarks by the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, H.E. Mr. Paul Mashatile, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ms. Amina Mohammed, South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education, H.E. Ms. Matsie Angelina Motshekga, and UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Education, Ms. Stefania Giannini, the Forum assembled into breakaway sessions for further deliberations.


A milestone report on addressing teacher shortages

Central to the Forum's agenda was the launch of the Global Report on Teachers produced by UNESCO and the Teacher Task Force. Revealing the need for an additional 44 million teachers to reach universal primary and secondary education by 2030, the report underscores the urgency of the teacher shortage crisis. This landmark report with new data, including on financing the profession, not only sheds light on the subject but also proposes actionable strategies to enhance the teaching profession.
 

A ministerial panel on dignifying, diversifying, and valorizing the teaching profession

A highlight of the day was a ministerial panel moderated by distinguished speakers from various Member States, including from South Africa, China, Ecuador, Ghana, and Finland, as well as the African Union. The panel delved into strategies for dignifying, diversifying, and valorizing the teaching profession.
 

A unique opportonity for collaboration and knowledge-sharing on effective teacher policy-making

Across three days of plenaries and discussions, this unique global Forum on effective teacher policy-making is also providing a platform for networking and side events of the world’s most prominent actors on teachers and teaching. Fostering collaboration and exchange of best practices, and promoting international cooperation to address global teacher shortages and to make the teaching profession more attractive, the Forum is a pivotal event which highlights the key role of South Africa in the region. 

A full summary report on the outcomes of the Forum will be published here shortly.

A resource pack will also be available here soon, featuring, among other assets, the presentations given during the Forum.
 

For more information:
For media inquiries:

Teacher Task Force: Anna Ruszkiewicz, ae.ruszkiewicz@unesco.org

South Africa Department of Basic Education: Elijah Mhlanga, Chief Director Communications, Mhlanga.e@dbe.gov.za

News
  • 15.11.2024

Launch of the Chinese Version of the Global Report on Teachers at the 4th Global Forum for Teacher Development

The Chinese version of the Teacher Task Force and UNESCO Global Report on Teachers, Addressing teacher shortages and transforming the profession, was launched at a special event held during the 4th Global Forum for Teacher Professional Development on 11 November 2024 in Shanghai. Organized by the UNESCO Category II Teacher Education Centre (TEC) at Shanghai Normal University, and hosted by Professor Minxuan Zhang, Director of the Centre, and Associate Professor Dr Bian Cui, the event brought together leading education experts, policymakers, teachers and students from around the globe in a hybrid format to discuss strategies for making the teaching profession more attractive and sustainable.

Mr Carlos Vargas, Head of the Secretariat of the Teacher Task Force and Chief of Section for Teacher Development at UNESCO, delivered a key presentation analyzing the report’s findings. He highlighted the persistent teacher shortages in all regions, with a projected deficit of 44 million primary and secondary education teachers by 2030. His presentation also outlined the factors driving attrition and identified innovative measures adopted globally to address these challenges.
 

TEC1


The Chinese version of the Global Report on Teachers, translated by over 30 TEC teachers and students over a six-month period, was co-published by UNESCO, TEC and the Educational Science Publishing House (ESPH), and represents a significant effort to make the report’s insights and recommendations accessible to Chinese-speaking audiences. This collective achievement highlights the value of international collaboration in addressing teacher-related challenges.

The Chinese version of the report is now available on the Teacher Task Force Knowledge Platform and on the ESPH website.
 

TEC2

 

Highlights of the event


The programme began with welcoming remarks from key figures in education in China:

  • Ms Zhang Chunliu, Second-Level Researcher from the Section for Development at the Department of Teacher Education of the Ministry of Education, celebrated the release of the report and emphasized the recognition of China’s teacher development efforts on the global stage. She shared examples of how China has reformed teacher management and improved teacher status.
  • Mr Jiang Mingjun, Vice President of Shanghai Normal University, highlighted the institution’s commitment to international collaboration and its role in teacher training.
  • Mr Zhang Minxuan, Director of TEC, stressed the value of international exchange and urged students to "open their eyes to the world," drawing on his own experience as an educator.
  • Mr Zheng Haojie, President of and Editor-in-Chief of the Educational Science Publishing House, reflected on the long-standing collaboration between TEC and UNESCO in translating key education resources and reaffirmed the publishing house's dedication to this partnership.
     

TEC3

TEC7
 

Key discussions


The forum’s theme, "How to Make the Teaching Profession More Attractive?" provided a platform for a range of insightful presentations:

  • Mr Carlos Vargas, Head of the Secretariat of the Teacher Task Force and Chief of Section for Teacher Development at UNESCO, provided an in-depth analysis of the global teacher shortage, linking it to systemic issues and exploring innovative solutions highlighted in the Global Report on Teachers.
  • Mr Zhou Zuoyu, Director of the UNESCO International Research and Training Centre for Rural Education (UNESCO INRULED), shared China’s successes in promoting equity and inclusivity in education through reforms, innovation, and digital technology.
  • Mr Andreas Schleicher, Director for the Directorate of Education and Skills at the OECD, discussed the potential of AI in teacher professional development, noting the need for teachers to embrace new technologies to enhance their skills and job satisfaction.
  • Mr Xiang Shiqing, Researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, highlighted the challenges of the digital age for learners and how teachers are strengthening their role as learning activity designers. He also described STEM education as a new approach to both science and general education.
  • Mr Jordan Naidoo, former Interim Director of UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning (UNESCO IIEP), presented on crisis-sensitive teacher policies, emphasizing the role of teachers in sustainable development and the need for teamwork and adaptability in the face of global challenges.
  • Mr Cheng Kai-ming, Emeritus Professor of the University of Hong Kong, offered an engaging perspective on the role of teaching in preparing students for an unpredictable future, beyond the immediate challenges of AI.
     

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TEC8
 

Collaborative achievements


The Global Report on Teachers, developed by the Teacher Task Force in collaboration with UNESCO, provides a comprehensive overview of the state of the teaching profession globally. By identifying challenges and offering policy solutions, the report helps countries improve their teacher recruitment, retention and professional development.

The release of the Chinese version marks a critical step in ensuring the report’s impact in China, enabling policymakers, researchers, and educators to engage deeply with its findings. Carlos Vargas emphasized the importance of such collaborations in advancing the global education agenda and achieving SDG4 by 2030.

The launch event served as a valuable platform for sharing insights, promoting international collaboration, and inspiring action to strengthen the teaching profession. The Teacher Task Force remains committed to supporting countries in overcoming teacher challenges and advancing policies that empower educators around the world.

 

Information and resources

 

Photo credits: UNESCO TEC

Event
  • 24.10.2024

Valuing, Diversifying, and Investing in the Teaching Profession at the Global Education Meeting 2024

The Teacher Task Force and UNESCO will host a session on teachers at the Global Education Meeting 2024 on 1 November in Fortaleza, Brazil.

Titled "Valuing, diversifying, and investing in the teaching profession," this event will address the pressing global teacher shortage, with an estimated 44 million additional educators needed by 2030.

The session will mark the launch of the Teacher Task Force’s Call to Action as part of its #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign. As the global phase of the campaign concludes, the Call to Action urges immediate and comprehensive action to value, diversify, and invest in the teaching profession, following the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession.

The programme will also feature a presentation of key findings from the Teacher Task Force and UNESCO Global Report on Teachers, emphasizing the challenges in recruiting and retaining teachers worldwide. It will explore strategies to value and support teachers, promote workforce diversity, and secure financial investments to improve working conditions and professional development.

Participants will discuss successful initiatives, policy measures, and the importance of social dialogue to amplify teachers' voices. The event will offer a platform for sharing experiences and innovative approaches to accelerate progress towards SDG 4 by addressing the teacher shortage.

At the event, a call to action will be launched as part of the Teacher Task Force #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign, urging all education stakeholders to take immediate and comprehensive actions to value, diversify, and invest in the teaching profession. This call, aligned with the UNSG High-Level Panel’s Recommendations on the Teaching Profession, will be voiced at the 2024 Global Education Meeting in Fortaleza, Brazil, at the parallel session on Teachers.

Click here for more information on the 2024 Global Education Meeting.

Blog
  • 24.10.2024

Pathways for refugee and (im)migrant teachers: Welcoming transnational educator talent to schools and addressing #TeachersMissing

This blog was submitted by Childhood Education International and authored by Julie Kasper in the framework of the Teacher Task Force #TeachersMissing advocacy campaign to showcase members' good practices in addressing teacher shortages worldwide.  



To address teacher shortages and workforce diversity, Childhood Education International’s Pathways to Teaching Project (PTP), supports refugee and (im)migrant teachers in overcoming barriers to rejoin the teaching profession in the U.S.

As the Teacher Task Force’s #TeachersMissing campaign and the UNESCO Global Report on Teachers have made clear, there is a crisis in recruiting and retaining an additional 44 million teachers worldwide to achieve universal access to primary and secondary school by 2030.

What is hidden, perhaps, and particularly devastating about this statistic is the fact that there are talented and dedicated teachers who have been forcibly displaced from their homes and resettled/migrated to a new country who are eager to rejoin the teaching profession but are barred or not warmly welcomed to do so.
 

How can these “missing” teachers be supported in reconnecting with their passion?

How can they fulfil their purpose as classroom teachers in their new country of residence?

The Center for Professional Learning (CPL) at Childhood Education International has been exploring answers to these questions over the past year through their Pathways to Teaching Project (PTP). This project is focused on supporting individuals of refugee and (im)migrant backgrounds, called PTP Fellows, now living in the United States as they learn, network, and develop unique plans for navigating hurdles to join the U.S. teacher workforce.

Funded by the New Schools Venture Fund and in partnership with local and state educational authorities, talent management staff, workforce development programmes, refugee/(im)migrant service organizations, higher education and alternative certification programmes, and a generous team of supporters comprised largely of diverse classroom teachers, PTP Fellows from around the world spent eight months learning about U.S. education systems and certification and licensure requirements.
 

“The Pathway [project] helped me understand that I wasn’t alone because at first I felt like I was alone. I didn’t know what direction I would go to. The Fellowship helped re-establish my confidence towards pursuing my teaching career goal. It helped provide me with my first community and association where I was able to learn about the U.S. education system.” PTP Fellow from Nigeria


These #TeachersMissing found each other and a community of support

PTP Fellows were welcomed into a community of practice, where they were supported in their exploration of the education systems and various education careers in the U.S. The community of practice also helped them to take first steps along their journeys to re/join the global teacher workforce.
 

“In this program, I was encouraged by everyone's positive words and I felt that I can face any problem and reach my goal.”

 

PTP Fellow from Afghanistan


Like other countries around the world, in the United States teacher shortages are of increasing concern; studies reveal 55,000 teacher vacancies and more than 270,000 underqualified teachers working in U.S. classrooms.

Alongside these concerns around teacher retention and recruitment in the U.S., diversification of the U.S. teacher workforce is a top priority. The Institute of Education Sciences (IES) in the U.S. Department of Education, and many researchers cited in an IES infographic on this topic, argue that a diverse teacher workforce is essential for equitable experiences and outcomes for students.
 

“I remember one of the [PTP] speakers said ‘I carry a drum from my country; I carry a map of my country; I wear an attire that was made in my country.’ Those make wonderful, remarkable connections to kids. Because when they look at you and see themselves in what you wear or what you say, it cuts down on the problems that you will face in the classroom.” 

PTP Fellow from Liberia


Individuals arriving in the U.S. with teaching experience are uniquely positioned to address both of these needs. In addition, they can offer cultural and linguistic support for students and families.

In CPL’s inaugural PTP cohort of 40 individuals, more than 23 languages are spoken. This abundance and talent is needed in the teacher workforce in the U.S. and around the world.

Why then, is it so challenging for “newcomers” to re/join education careers after moving from one country to another?

What might we do, as a global community and within our national and local education systems, to lower barriers and create more welcoming pathways to joining education professions, including to becoming classroom teachers?
 

Personalised, holistic solutions and SMART plans

What we have learned from our PTP initiative is that the solutions are not immediate nor one-size-fits-all. PTP Fellows made important progress toward achieving their goal of teaching in the U.S.

Thirty-three percent secured new educator roles for the 2024-2025 school year, including three individuals who are now full-time classroom teachers. Others are earlier in their journeys and are working toward securing copies of their transcripts and diplomas (an impossibility for many Afghan women currently), learning more English, passing licensure exams, and building their knowledge and skills to thrive in U.S. classrooms. They are also becoming familiar with curricula-in-use, learning technologies, and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and policies that are different from their previous teaching contexts and countries.

88% of participants have a unique, SMART pathway plan that they feel confident will help them in becoming a teacher. These plans were co-created with coaches, mentors, and the project team at CPL to ensure they are realistic and achievable based on each educator’s life circumstances, talents, needs, and local context.
 

This personalised, caring, and holistic approach is what is needed in order to invite #TeachersMissing back into classrooms after they have been uprooted.
 

Welcoming pathways that don’t assume certain language and/or digital fluencies, documentation/degree(s) in hand, or shared life/cultural experience are essential. There are brilliant individuals in communities around the world who want to teach. Their cultural and linguistic assets can enrich schools and improve experiences and outcomes for every learner. Let’s invite these #TeachersMissing back into our education systems!

To learn more or to connect with the work the Center for Professional Learning at Childhood Education International is doing, please contact Julie Kasper, Director of Teacher Learning and Leadership: jkasper[at]ceinternational1892.org.


Photo credit: Shutterstock.com/Monkey Business Images


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