Education, a pillar of human development, shapes both individual and societal futures. This article addresses the teacher shortage, a critical challenge highlighted by UNESCO in "The teachers we need for the education we want," emphasizing the importance of recruiting and retaining teachers.
The document highlights a disturbing truth: to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030, 44 million additional teachers are needed globally. The focus is on Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that alone requires millions of new teachers. Given the current rates of attrition and recruitment difficulties, the educational future of coming generations remains highly uncertain.
However, the problem is not confined to a single continent. Regions like Europe and North America are also facing teacher shortages, mainly due to retirements and growing disinterest in the profession. These regional variations in teacher needs provide insight into the global complexity of the issue.
The report closely examines the factors contributing to this crisis. Insufficient salaries, stressful working conditions, and a lack of professional development opportunities are among the main causes of attrition and recruitment difficulties. These issues, exacerbated by demographic trends and educational policies, create a vicious cycle that is difficult to break.
The UNESCO report demonstrates regional differences in the teacher shortage.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a need for 15 million additional teachers by 2030, representing a third of the global need. This significant requirement is due to the rapid growth of the school-age population, combined with high rates of attrition and retirements among current teachers. This situation is exacerbated by limited resources and challenges in educational infrastructure, making the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers particularly difficult.
In Europe and North America, retirement and disinterest in the profession require the recruitment of 4.8 million teachers. In East and South Asia, increased efforts are needed, despite more achievable projections. In Latin America and the Caribbean, 3.2 million additional teachers are required.
The report particularly details the phenomenon of attrition, that is, the natural reduction in a quantity of things or people. For example, staff attrition, reduction in workforce due to retirements, deaths, etc.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the majority of the necessary teachers must occupy new positions. In Europe and North America, they are primarily required to replace those lost to attrition. The gaps in terms of teachers, therefore, result from the need to fill new positions and replace those vacated due to attrition.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, 62% of the teacher deficit is attributed to the creation of new positions. Indeed, 9.4 million teachers are needed by 2030 to address the significant demographic growth in the region.
Conversely, in Europe, North America, and Latin America, a large part of the need for teachers is linked to anticipated attrition. Vacant positions are largely related to replacing teachers and not to creating new positions.
Key figures on the global number of teachers needed / Comparison between needs in primary and secondary education.
The UNESCO report examines the number of teachers who leave their role within a given year. Departures can be due to retirement, health issues, family obligations, or a new job in another field.
The attrition rate varies significantly by region, but globally the rate has increased from 4.6% in 2015 to 9.1% in 2022 in primary schools, a very alarming observation. Although the data cannot demonstrate a higher or lower attrition rate by country based on income, the report highlights a higher attrition rate in the most highly qualifying professions and subjects. Indeed, qualified teachers have less difficulty in changing professions. An alarming finding for future generations, who will, if this continues, have increasingly less qualified teachers.
Attrition in the teaching sector is mainly influenced by difficult working conditions, a lack of institutional support, and often deemed insufficient remuneration. The absence of professional development opportunities and career prospects can lead to a feeling of stagnation. Moreover, a difficult school climate, marked by disciplinary problems, as well as pressures arising from frequent educational reforms, exacerbate the feeling of dissatisfaction.
The distinction between primary and secondary education is significant. Secondary education requires more teachers than primary, with a global proportion of 7 recruits out of 10 for secondary education.
While primary education has long been a priority, there is now a growing need for teachers in secondary education. This evolution reflects a shift in global educational priorities, where the focus is on more in-depth and specialized education.
High teacher attrition has significant consequences on the quality of education. Figures show that many teachers leave their positions, leading to a discontinuity in teaching. As a result, students may suffer from uneven teaching quality, resulting in less effective academic outcomes.
In addition, teacher attrition can lead to an increase in the number of students per class, as it can be difficult to quickly find replacements. This means that teachers have less time to devote to each student, thus reducing individual learning opportunities.
This situation impacts student retention, as they are more likely to leave school if the teaching is poor or if they do not have continuous relationships with their teachers. Moreover, student performance on exams is negatively affected by teacher attrition.
Finally, high teacher attrition often leads to low motivation and reduced engagement among the remaining teachers, due to difficult working conditions, insufficient salaries, and a lack of support.
Given the teacher shortage highlighted in the UNESCO report, it is imperative to adopt strategies aimed at reducing teacher attrition. This requires a multifaceted approach, including improving working conditions, fairer remuneration, and increased support for professional development. By valuing the teaching profession and recognizing its essential contribution to societal development, it is possible to create a more attractive environment for current and potential teachers. Moreover, by focusing on policies that promote retention, such as diverse and enriching career opportunities, it is possible to reverse the resignation trend and encourage greater stability in the teaching workforce.
Concurrently, the shift towards new teaching methods, particularly the integration of digital technology, offers a promising path to address the teacher shortage and improve access to education for all. Adopting virtual classrooms and other educational technologies can transform learning, making education more flexible, accessible, and inclusive. This transition to a hybrid teaching model, however, requires significant investment in teacher training and technological infrastructure, as well as reflection on the best pedagogical practices to adopt in this new paradigm.
