The institution recommended measures to make the profession more attractive, including investments in initial teacher training and continuous development programs.
We need to better value, train and support teachers, Azoulay said in his message. (Photo: PL)
The Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, proposed this Wednesday several measures to improve the global teacher shortage and the situation of these professionals.
On the eve of World Teachers’ Day, the senior official highlighted the role they play in society, which she described as vital.
“However, this profession is facing a significant professional crisis. In some regions of the world there is a shortage of candidates, in others there is a very high fluctuation rate in the first few years of employment. In both cases, the answer is the same: we need to better value, train and support teachers,” Azoulay said in his message.
UNESCO recommended measures to make the profession more attractive, including investing in initial teacher training and continuous development programs, implementing mentoring initiatives and ensuring that teachers receive competitive salaries and benefits.
He also called for streamlining administrative tasks and documentation to allow teachers to focus more on teaching, promote a healthy work-life balance, and provide easier access to mental health services and advice on coping with depression, stress and emotional difficulties.
According to the multilateral organization, measures must be adapted depending on national circumstances and challenges.
On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO regretted that 44 million teachers are needed worldwide to achieve the goal of providing primary and secondary education for all before 2030.
The problem lies not only in financing, but also in the lack of attractiveness of the profession and therefore in the importance of the recommendations, he emphasized.
The organization’s data shows that the region that has made the most progress is South Asia, where the deficit has been reduced by half since 2016, while sub-Saharan Africa has seen little progress, with a third of the current global deficit .
