Riyadh, 26 May 2025 - The Arabic edition of the Teacher Task Force & UNESCO Global Report on Teachers 2024 is presented today in collaboration with the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE). It provides a strategic framework for improving teachers’ working conditions, strengthening their professional development, and enhancing the attractiveness of the teaching profession.

Like many regions around the world, the Arab States are grappling with growing challenges in teacher retention, driven by factors such as heavy workloads, limited salary growth, and a need for greater professional recognition.

The Arabic edition of the Global Report on Teachers, published by UNESCO, the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, and the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE), was presented today in Riyadh. The event took place during the high-level Leaders in Education Summit, held alongside the Saudi Arabia Global Educational Supplies and Solutions (GESS) conference from 26 to 28 May.

Report highlights: Mixed realities for teachers in the Arab States

The Global Report on Teachers offers key insights into the teaching profession across the Arab region. Whereas substantial progress has been made, just 8 out of 19 countries in primary education and 2 out of 16 in in secondary education in Northern Africa and Western Asia will recruit enough teachers to close the gaps by 2030.

Data from the 2018 Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) further underscores the magnitude of the challenge: in Saudi Arabia, 62% of lower secondary school principals reported shortages of qualified teachers—well above the OECD average of 21%—placing the country among the highest globally alongside Viet Nam (86%) and Colombia (53%) (OECD, 2019c).

Undesirable working conditions and poor remuneration can contribute to this. While countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar offer relatively high monthly salaries—US$7,514 and US$5,083 respectively—teachers in Egypt earn considerably less, at just around US$745 making it difficult to support all family needs. Moreover, despite the high salaries in some countries, upper secondary teachers in Saudi Arabia still earn on average just 0.91 times the salaries of other professions requiring the same qualifications, which may contribute in the longer term towards attrition. In Lebanon, deteriorating economic conditions have led three-quarters of teachers to consider leaving the profession, while Jordan continues to face shortages due to decades of outmigration.

Quantitative shortages are further exacerbated by qualitative shortages. Whereas many countries in the region have achieved rates of 100% of teachers having the required qualifications to teach, especially among Gulf countries, this varies with just 41 per cent and 38 per cent of primary teachers in Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic also having the minimum level of professional qualifications.

Yet, the Report also points to signs of resilience. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual communities of practice emerged across the region, supporting both professional development and teacher well-being. In Saudi Arabia and Oman, societal narratives continue to frame teachers as nation-builders and intellectual leaders, highlighting the symbolic value of the profession.

A strategic tool for advancing SDG 4 through the valorization of the teaching profession

The report comes at a pivotal moment as countries in the Arab States region work to reimagine and reinvigorate the teaching profession. It provides a strategic framework for improving working conditions, strengthening professional development, and enhancing the sustainability and appeal of teaching. As noted during the event, it is a vital reference for guiding targeted reforms and context-specific strategies to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education.

Call for collaboration and reform

In his keynote address, Mr. Carlos Vargas, Chief of UNESCO’s Section for Teacher Development and Head of the Secretariat of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, stated: “We deeply appreciate Saudi Arabia’s support for global education and for hosting and empowering UNESCO RCQE to strengthen teaching worldwide.” Dr. Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Almedaires, Director-General of UNESCO RCQE, reaffirmed the joint commitment of the Centre, UNESCO HQ, and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030: “This report reflects our shared dedication to advancing the teaching profession and finding practical, scalable solutions to achieve inclusive, quality, and sustainable education for all.”

Ministers and experts unite for action to support teachers

The presentation gathered ministers and senior officials from across the Arab States, alongside international experts, education leaders, and partner organizations. Discussions emphasized the need for practical, locally adapted policies and stronger multilateral cooperation. Education ministers echoed the urgency of action, and UNESCO RCQE reaffirmed its leading role in fostering regional and international collaboration to transform education and support teachers.

A joint commitment to valorize the teaching profession

In closing, UNESCO, the Teacher Task Force, and UNESCO RCQE reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening the teaching profession across the Arab world, driving forward transformative change to meet national priorities and global education goals.

Further resources:

• Highlights of the Global Report on Teachers in Arabic and English
• Page of the launch event
• UNESCO work to support teachers
• UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education (RCQE)

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

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

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:

• World Teachers’ Day event page
• Teacher Task Force & UNESCO fact sheet

 Photo credit: UNESCO/Diana Quintela