Global Leaders Unite to Tackle Teacher Shortage at UNESCO World Summit

At the inaugural UNESCO World Summit on Teachers, held in Santiago de Chile, world leaders, ministers, educators and organisations came together to address the urgent global teacher shortage. With 44 million new teachers needed by 2030, the Summit adopted the Santiago Consensus, a bold global framework to strengthen teacher policies, secure sustainable funding, and elevate the profession. Among the attendees was Nicholas Piachaud, Director of Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships representing the Varkey Foundation, underscoring the commitment to ensuring teachers are recognised and supported as central to achieving quality education for all.

Nicholas shared insights from the Varkey Foundation’s work on understanding teacher status worldwide, emphasising how perceptions of the profession affect recruitment and retention. He highlighted research showing that, in many countries, teachers are ranked low in social status compared to other professions, and few parents would encourage their children to pursue teaching. Nicholas called for urgent action to reverse these trends, stressing that improving the social standing of teachers is fundamental to tackling the global education crisis and ensuring the profession attracts and retains the talent it desperately needs.

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