World needs 69 million new teachers to achieve education target: UN report

Around the world, but especially in less developed regions, 69 million teachers are needed to reach the goal of universal basic education by 2030, UNESCO said in a statement.

69 million new teachers

Audrey Azoulay, director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), called on governments around the world to intensify their support for teachers, warning of the difficulties facing the profession to retain staff and attract new talent.

Lack of training, unattractive working conditions and inadequate funding all undermine the teaching profession and aggravate the global learning crisis. UNESCO has always placed teachers at the heart of the fight for the right to inclusive and quality education. There is an urgent need to better recognise this profession on which the future of our children depends

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General

UNESCO estimates indicate that an additional 24.4 million teachers in primary education and some 44.4 million in secondary education are needed to achieve universal basic education by 2030.

Sub-Saharan Africa, which has some of the most overcrowded classrooms in the world, is also the continent with the most overworked teachers and understaffed systems, with 90% of secondary schools facing severe teacher shortages.

In that region of the world, 5.4 million teachers in primary education and 11.1 million in secondary education are needed to achieve the goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations for 2030.

SDG 4, education for all, has as its first goal to ensure that all girls and boys complete primary and secondary education, which must be free, equitable, of quality and produce relevant and effective learning.

Lack of training

The region with the second largest deficit in South Asia, where UNESCO projects that an additional 1.7 million teachers will be needed at the primary level and 5.3 million at the secondary level.

In low-income countries, the first obstacle is the heavy workload, since according to recent data from UNESCO, each primary school teacher in these countries has an average of 52 students per class, while the world average is 26.

The ratio is especially high in sub-Saharan Africa, with 56 students per teacher, and in South Asia, with 38. In Europe and North America, there are an average of just 15 students per teacher.

The difficulties of supervision are aggravated by the lack of training, which means that teachers do not always have all the tools at their disposal to achieve adequate performance in the classroom.

UNESCO data shows that approximately 26% of primary teachers and 39% of secondary teachers lack the minimum required qualifications in low-income countries, compared to 14% and 16%, respectively, Worldwide.

Childcare facilities

In more remote, deprived, and rural areas, conditions are worsening and aggravated by multiple grades, multilingualism, and pressing classroom learning needs.

Female teachers are disproportionately affected due to lack of adequate housing, long and unsafe commutes to school, and a lack of childcare facilities, making it difficult for women to remain in remote teaching positions.

The underrepresentation of women teachers in certain areas of knowledge and in management positions is another permanent challenge.

The profession's crisis is also accentuated by uncompetitive salaries, with UNESCO data showing that six out of 10 countries pay primary teachers less than other professionals with similar qualifications.

This criterion is especially evident in high-income countries. In five of the six countries in this group, primary school teachers earn less than comparable professionals.

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