The United Nations has issued a global alert on regarding the escalating crisis of a teacher shortage.
The announcement unfolded during the International Task Force on Teachers for Education in Johannesburg, where the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession unveiled a set of groundbreaking recommendations to secure the future of global education.
UN Chief António Guterres emphasized the urgency, stating, “Now, more than ever, we need to move towards learning societies. People everywhere need high-quality skills, knowledge, and education. Above all, they need the best teachers possible.”
UNESCO’s grim projection underscores the severity of the issue, predicting that seven out of ten secondary-level teachers will need replacement by 2030. Additionally, over half of the existing teaching force is expected to leave the profession within the decade.
The impact is felt globally, but sub-Saharan Africa is grappling with the most severe consequences, requiring an estimated 15 million new teachers by 2030. The ramifications include ballooning class sizes, overwhelmed educators, educational inequalities, and financial strain on educational systems, adversely affecting both quality and accessibility of education.
Building on the momentum from the UN Summit on Transforming Education in 2022, and with support from the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNESCO, the High-Level Panel’s recommendations focus on six core aspects: dignity, humanity, diversity, equity and inclusion, quality, innovation and leadership, and sustainability.
António Guterres called for widespread implementation of the guidelines, advocating, “Just as teachers support us all, it’s time to support teachers. Let’s make sure they have the support, recognition, and resources they need to provide quality, relevant education and skills for all.”
Addressing the challenge, the recommendations aim to create an environment empowering teachers to drive educational change, foster critical thinking, and promote modern learning skills. The Panel urges a shift towards viewing teachers as collaborative partners rather than mere conveyors of knowledge, emphasizing the crucial role of adequate funding, including technology integration and support for digital learning.
The report reveals a disconcerting rise in attrition rates among primary teachers, doubling globally from 4.62 per cent in 2015 to 9.06 in 2022, often exiting the profession within the initial five years. Financing additional teachers is estimated to cost $12.8 billion for universal primary education and a staggering $106.8 billion for universal secondary education. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, focusing on “inclusive and equitable quality education,” requires an estimated annual additional financing of $120 billion by 2030.
In response, Guterres emphasized the imperative of investing in teacher training, establishing professional teaching standards, incorporating teachers’ voices in policy decisions, and creating national commissions to tackle the looming teacher shortages. The world now faces a critical juncture, where swift and comprehensive action is indispensable to avert the impending educational crisis.
