Enhancing wages, promoting better working conditions, and investing in education are essential steps in attracting and retaining quality educators, according to a recent United Nations global report, which revealed that teachers may come in short supply worldwide by 2030.
A collaborative effort between the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, aims to address this looming crisis by mobilizing recommended actions to empower, recruit, train, and support teachers.
The report said there is an urgent need for 44 million primary and secondary teachers worldwide by 2030, with seven out of 10 educators needed at the secondary level. Sub-Saharan Africa faces a particularly daunting challenge, with an estimated demand for 15 million new teachers by 2030.
This shortage extends globally, affecting both developing nations and high-income regions like Europe and North America. Attrition rates among primary teachers have nearly doubled from 4.62 percent in 2015 to 9.06 percent in 2022, according to the report.
To address this problem, UNESCO called for the formulation of all-encompassing solutions that go beyond the recruitment process. It said countries must consider “creating attractive career pathways with equitable access to professional development” for teachers.
“Involving teachers in decision-making and fostering a collaborative school culture can attract and retain quality educators. Adequate investment in novice teachers can reduce attrition and address shortages sustainably,” UNESCO said.
Equally important is the establishment of inclusive policies that foster gender equality. The UN agency strongly encourages putting more women in leadership positions and engaging men in early years education to enrich the learning experience of students and improve outcomes.
UNESCO acknowledged that meeting the demand for new teaching positions will require significant financial investment. Projections indicate that financing the additional teachers needed to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030 will cost approximately US$120 billion annually.
Having said this, UNESCO endorsed collaborative professionalism, lifelong learning, and professional autonomy among key strategies towards empowering educators and reshaping the teaching landscape to ensure that every child has access to quality education.