Comparing teacher training diplomas internationally: ISCED-T.

 Defining a trained teacher (global indicator 4.c.1) is a complex task as it is linked to the certification process of teachers, to how the alternative pathways are embedding training and to the in-service training that teachers are obliged to do. These factors determine whether a teacher is trained according to national policy. As result, the meaning of being a trained teacher in one jurisdiction can differ substantially from meaning in a different jurisdiction. The most common requirement for teaching is to have a teacher diploma that is granted by a teacher training program (TTP). The TTP could have a different definition in terms of the educational level of qualification obtained upon completion of the teacher training program (e.g., secondary, postsecondary non-tertiary, tertiary); the minimum educational level required for entry into the teacher training program; the theoretical duration of the teacher training program and the teaching practice ratio (which is the duration of the work-based in-school component of the teacher training program relative to the total duration of the program). The data currently used for monitoring trained and qualified teachers are based on national standards, which vary across countries. To support the monitoring of SDG target 4.c, to improve the understanding of TTPs and to enable comparison across countries’ TTPs, the UIS has developed the International Standard Classification of Teacher Training Programs (ISCED-T). The ISCED-T is a framework for assembling, compiling, and analyzing cross-nationally comparable statistics on teacher training programs and related teacher qualifications. Data reported through the ISCED-T will also help explore the feasibility of developing a global minimum standard for teacher qualifications which could then be used to improve the monitoring of the SDG global indicator 4.c.1 alongside the national standards currently used for monitoring.