Summary

• Countries need to implement all-inclusive measures to address the issue of the global shortage of teachers.
• The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2025 is “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession,” to highlight the crisis of the global shortage of teachers.
• Although developed countries also face severe problems in hiring and retaining teachers, the situation is way more concerning in regions like Africa and Asia.
• About 110 million more children and adolescents have been admitted to schools since 2015.
• There are still 272 million children and adolescents who are out of school, though they should have been in schools.

Why is World Teachers’ Day Celebrated?

Every year, World Teachers’ Day is observed on October 5th to honour teachers all over the world.

This day was first celebrated in 1994 under the umbrella of the United Nations, and since then it has been a regular annual event jointly supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and Education International.

Each year there is a theme for celebrations. The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2025 is “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession,” to underline the impact and massive potential of qualified teachers.

Research shows tremendous results can be achieved when teachers are backed with the right policies, financial support, and cooperative environment.

Teachers play a critical role in holding together the whole education sector because of their central role in linking policymakers and education institutions with the students.

Global Shortage of Teachers

Teachers face similar problems all over the world. The world immediately needs 44 million primary and secondary teachers by 2030, according to UNESCO.

The challenge is not just to hire teachers but also to retain them. A large number of teachers leave the profession within the first few years because of different challenges like low pay scale, difficult work environment, lack of training, etc.

Although developed countries also face severe problems in hiring and retaining teachers, the situation is way more concerning in regions like sub-Saharan Africa. The region needs an estimated 15 million new teachers by 2030.

To address the issue of the global shortage of teachers, countries need to implement all-inclusive measures.

For instance, there needs to be a strong system that can address the issues like teachers’ well-being, salaries, trainings, career progress, working conditions, etc.

Since this is a difficult ask, even the richest countries in the world are facing a shortage of teachers.

Despite so many challenges, the combined global efforts to enroll more children and teachers have been largely successful. For example, according to UNESCO, today there are more children in schools than ever before.

Since 2015, about 110 million more children and adolescents have been admitted to schools.

Similarly, compared to 2015, 40 million more young people are completing secondary school.

Governments, aid agencies, and teachers have collaborated all over the world to achieve these results during the last decade or so.

However, the current pace is not enough to achieve the UNESCO targets of 2030. There are still 272 million children and adolescents who are out of school, though they should have been in schools and completing their basic education.

The situation is more concerning in low-income and developing countries. One challenge is to put children in school, and the second concern is the poor quality of education that leads to low proficiency in reading and mathematics.

World Teachers’ Day: Massive Shortage of Teachers in Canada

Like other developed countries, Canada is also facing a shortage of teachers. There is no province or territory in Canada that is not facing severe strains due to the shortage of teachers.

Teachers say one of the biggest problems is poor working conditions. This is the single biggest issue that discourages teachers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the conditions for teachers and school administrations all over Canada. Many experienced teachers took early retirement during those years, while new hiring fell way short of targets.

On the one hand, the shortage of teachers has worsened in recent years. On the other hand, sudden high population growth rates increased the demand for teachers all over Canada.

Parents are worried that schools are hiring unqualified teachers due to the shortage of teachers. However, this trend is hurting the class performance of students.

Experts warn that the situation will further deteriorate in the next few years. Some provinces have made teachers’ qualifications so difficult that new teachers are not attracted to this profession.

Meanwhile, the number of unqualified teachers is also increasing across Canada, which is further complicating the problem.

Conclusion

All countries are facing similar kinds of problems when it comes to the shortage of teachers. Large classrooms, low salaries, poor or extreme conditions, and lack of training or prospects for career growth are some of the biggest issues that are affecting school systems.

It is true that the continuous efforts of ILO and UNESCO have improved the situation, but there are so many challenges that are still unresolved and need continuous efforts in coming years.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us now to learn more.

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