United Nations issues global alert over teacher shortage

MANILA, Philippines — The United Nations has issued a global alert over a shortage of teachers, with the lack greatest in secondary education.

The UN alert was issued last week at a meeting of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Seven out of 10 teachers at the secondary level will need to be replaced by 2030, along with over half of all teachers who will have left the profession by the decade’s end, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

The agency said the effect of a worldwide teacher shortage is profound, creating larger class sizes, overburdened educators, educational disparities and financial strain on school systems, impacting educational quality and access.

According to a UNESCO report, the world needs 44 million teachers by 2030 in order to make the Sustainable Development Goal of quality and equitable education a reality.

The high-level panel’s recommendations are focused on core aspects: dignity, humanity, diversity, equity and inclusion, quality, sustainability, innovation and leadership.

Responses to the challenge include recommendations to cultivate an environment where teachers can drive educational change, foster critical thinking and promote modern learning skills.

The UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession advocates for teachers to be collaborative partners rather than mere purveyors of knowledge.

Adequate funding for education systems and technology integration are key, with a focus on supporting the use of digital learning and other technology.

Attrition rates among primary teachers almost doubled from 4.62 percent globally in 2015 to 9.06 in 2022, with teachers often leaving the profession within the first five years, the report revealed.

According to recent estimates, financing additional teachers will cost $12.8 billion for universal primary education and $106.8 billion for universal secondary education.

The annual additional financing needed to cover salaries at primary and secondary levels by 2030 is estimated at $120 billion.

With only 20 percent of the country’s senior high school graduates landing employment, the Marcos