The world needs 31 million more secondary teachers: new guidance out now to fill the gap.
Teachers are at the heart of the learning process, playing a critical role in imparting knowledge and shaping the future. Yet, despite this, education systems worldwide continue to grapple with shortages and face challenges in attracting and retaining qualified educators. While the teacher shortage has narrowed in recent years, an estimated 44 million teachers are still needed to reach the goal of universal primary and secondary education by 2030. Regional disparities remain strong, with sub-Saharan Africa requiring 15 million more teachers by 2030 – representing about one-third of the global demand.
The teacher shortage is particularly severe at the secondary level, where 31 million teachers are needed, 58% of which are needed to replace those leaving the profession. Such shortages have far-reaching consequences, directly affecting students, learning outcomes, and the workforce. But addressing this at the secondary level, where teachers need subject-specific expertise, and higher qualifications compared to primary teachers, can be a complex task. While there are tools and techniques for managing primary teachers, there is a lack of guidance on improving teacher management at the secondary level.
To address this gap, IIEP-UNESCO is launching a new publication on World Teachers’ Day (5 October) that provides crucial guidance on secondary teacher management, an area that was long overlooked in education development.
While tools and techniques for managing primary teachers are readily available, there has long been a lack of guidance on improving teacher management at the secondary level. Subject-specialization makes it a lot more complex. These guidelines seek to fill this gap and to start a discussion around this important topic. Barbara Tournier, Programme Specialist
Specifically, the guidelines can help planners and technical staff, particularly in ministries of education, ensure that teachers are available where they are needed most and with the right qualifications, all while efficiently using public resources. From Belize, Neulin Villanueva, former Deputy Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, says the guide could influence policy-makers to establish or review policies and systems to better manage teachers.
The guidelines will be extremely useful for education statisticians, education planners, education officers, and policy-makers both in terms of its structure and content. The guidelines provide coverage of the key matters that have to do with the allocation and utilization of teachers in a single document. Both tools and policy options are presented, which increases the document’s usability.
Neulin VillanuevaFormer Deputy Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Belize
A double shortage
Focusing on secondary teacher requirements, allocation, and utilization, the guidelines present a logical set of steps and indicators to foster a culture of strong teacher management and to help keep pace with demand. The publication also investigates the many challenges surrounding secondary teacher management, while also putting forward potential mitigation strategies. For instance, it explores how to more equitably allocate teachers focusing on the most vulnerable regions and schools within a system, or how to best use current teaching staff to reduce the burden – and distraction – of recruiting and training new personnel. Having wider access to good-quality secondary education, with a robust teaching force, is crucial for consolidating foundational learning and preparing young people for further study and the labour market. It also contributes to political stability, human development, and economic growth. For example, in low-income countries, universalizing upper secondary completion by 2030 would increase per capita income by 75 per cent by 2050 and bring poverty elimination forward by 10 years.
What users can gain from this guidelines
After reading this guide, users will be able to:
The guidelines are already being put to use by education practitioners enrolled in the KIX EMAP Learning Cycle on secondary teacher management, led by IIEP. The course includes participants from Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Maldives, Moldova, Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Ukraine. Gita Steiner-Khamsi, KIX EMAP Hub Lead Researcher, explains why the course is important to planners and policy-makers. With the extension of universal compulsory schooling to the secondary school level, supported by SDG 4, ministries of education and their respective policy advisors seek solutions on how to deal with the complex task of attracting qualified teachers to the profession, keeping them in the profession, and supporting them so that they can teach to their fullest potential. Gita Steiner-Khamsi, KIX EMAP Hub Lead Researcher
“We are pleased that we are able to team up with IIEP-UNESCO to support the policy-makers and their advisors in tackling the implementation of universal secondary school completion,” she added.
“Using data and research evidence, as well as exchanging experiences with their peers in other countries will help them do their jobs better. This is the third time we are teaming up with IIEP because of their experience and outstanding instructional staff.”
Associated tools
The guidelines are accompanied by a set of Excel tools which enable users to closely follow the methods set out.
Access them here
The teacher shortage is particularly severe at the secondary level, where 31 million teachers are needed, 58% of which are needed to replace those leaving the profession. Such shortages have far-reaching consequences, directly affecting students, learning outcomes, and the workforce. But addressing this at the secondary level, where teachers need subject-specific expertise, and higher qualifications compared to primary teachers, can be a complex task. While there are tools and techniques for managing primary teachers, there is a lack of guidance on improving teacher management at the secondary level.
To address this gap, IIEP-UNESCO is launching a new publication on World Teachers’ Day (5 October) that provides crucial guidance on secondary teacher management, an area that was long overlooked in education development.
While tools and techniques for managing primary teachers are readily available, there has long been a lack of guidance on improving teacher management at the secondary level. Subject-specialization makes it a lot more complex. These guidelines seek to fill this gap and to start a discussion around this important topic. Barbara Tournier, Programme Specialist
Specifically, the guidelines can help planners and technical staff, particularly in ministries of education, ensure that teachers are available where they are needed most and with the right qualifications, all while efficiently using public resources. From Belize, Neulin Villanueva, former Deputy Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, says the guide could influence policy-makers to establish or review policies and systems to better manage teachers.
The guidelines will be extremely useful for education statisticians, education planners, education officers, and policy-makers both in terms of its structure and content. The guidelines provide coverage of the key matters that have to do with the allocation and utilization of teachers in a single document. Both tools and policy options are presented, which increases the document’s usability.
Neulin VillanuevaFormer Deputy Chief Education Officer at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Belize
A double shortage
Focusing on secondary teacher requirements, allocation, and utilization, the guidelines present a logical set of steps and indicators to foster a culture of strong teacher management and to help keep pace with demand. The publication also investigates the many challenges surrounding secondary teacher management, while also putting forward potential mitigation strategies. For instance, it explores how to more equitably allocate teachers focusing on the most vulnerable regions and schools within a system, or how to best use current teaching staff to reduce the burden – and distraction – of recruiting and training new personnel. Having wider access to good-quality secondary education, with a robust teaching force, is crucial for consolidating foundational learning and preparing young people for further study and the labour market. It also contributes to political stability, human development, and economic growth. For example, in low-income countries, universalizing upper secondary completion by 2030 would increase per capita income by 75 per cent by 2050 and bring poverty elimination forward by 10 years.
What users can gain from this guidelines
After reading this guide, users will be able to:
- understand the major challenges of teacher management at the secondary level;
- apply methods to project teacher recruitment requirements;
- diagnose issues relating to the requirements, allocation, and utilization of secondary teachers;
- develop evidence-based policies, strategies, and practices for managing the supply of secondary teachers.
The guidelines are already being put to use by education practitioners enrolled in the KIX EMAP Learning Cycle on secondary teacher management, led by IIEP. The course includes participants from Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Maldives, Moldova, Mongolia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Ukraine. Gita Steiner-Khamsi, KIX EMAP Hub Lead Researcher, explains why the course is important to planners and policy-makers. With the extension of universal compulsory schooling to the secondary school level, supported by SDG 4, ministries of education and their respective policy advisors seek solutions on how to deal with the complex task of attracting qualified teachers to the profession, keeping them in the profession, and supporting them so that they can teach to their fullest potential. Gita Steiner-Khamsi, KIX EMAP Hub Lead Researcher
“We are pleased that we are able to team up with IIEP-UNESCO to support the policy-makers and their advisors in tackling the implementation of universal secondary school completion,” she added.
“Using data and research evidence, as well as exchanging experiences with their peers in other countries will help them do their jobs better. This is the third time we are teaming up with IIEP because of their experience and outstanding instructional staff.”
Associated tools
The guidelines are accompanied by a set of Excel tools which enable users to closely follow the methods set out.
Access them here
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