TORONTO — The fundamental goal of primary and secondary education for all by 2030 remains a mirage unless drastic actions are taken to avert the world’s teacher shortage problem, the UN Agency has warned.
World’s Teachers Day, celebrated on October 05th annually, is a global event that recognizes and honors the works of teachers to society. The Theme for World Teachers Day 2023 is “The Teacher we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.” It gives insights into the critical problem of a shortage of qualified teachers across the globe.
On this Day, Teachers worldwide are appreciated through wishes, quotes, and goodwill messages. A series of activities are conducted to celebrate as well as honor teachers entailing teacher appreciation awards, community outreach projects, and workshops.
As Canada continues to experience a qualified teacher shortage, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) admits that the issue is a “global phenomenon” and more measures must be put in place if its objective of primary and secondary education for all is to be attained by 2030.
According to UNESCO, several nations are dealing with the challenge with several requiring millions of extra teachers so that it reaches its objective.
Fifteen million teachers are required in Sub-Saharan Africa alone, contributing up to the greatest shortfall internationally, the report said. Europe alongside North America — the third biggest teacher shortage of all regions — stands at 4.8 million. Besides, 3.2 million is required in Latin America as well as the Caribbean.
Moreover, secondary education requires more teachers compared to primary, the report notes, with about seven out of 10 recruits required worldwide.
However, the agency notes, that the numbers may not be as alarming as they were seven years ago when its 2016 report was released indicating that 69 million teachers would be required.
“There are several factors at play when it comes to turnover. In the U.S., where multiple states have seen an increase in turnover compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, Nguyen — who teaches at the university’s College of Education — noted they’re also facing the issue of not enough people wanting to come into the profession,” said Education researcher and Kansas State University associate professor Tuan Nguyen.
“So then there are fewer people coming into the pipeline and more people retiring or leaving the pipeline,” said Nguyen.
UNESCO highlights three main factors attributing to teacher turnover and shortage, which include poor working environment or conditions, high degrees of stress alongside low pay.
Edited by Judy J. Rotich and Newsdesk Manager
