UN Panel Urges Global Action to Address Teacher Shortage and Transform Education

In a bold and urgent call to action, the United Nations High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession has released a sweeping set of 59 recommendations designed to strengthen the teaching profession and address the global teacher shortage, now estimated at 44 million. The recommendations aim to ensure every child has access to a qualified, supported, and respected teacher, every day, every lesson.

Convened by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Panel brings together a diverse group of global leaders, including education ministers, former heads of state, academics, civil society leaders, teachers, students, and education unions. Their work reflects a unified and comprehensive response to a crisis that has been building for years but was magnified by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“Just as teachers support us all, it’s time to support teachers,” said Guterres. “Let’s make sure they have the support, recognition, and resources they need to provide quality, relevant education and skills for all.”

An Unprecedented Global Roadmap for Education

The Panel’s recommendations represent the most ambitious and progressive international blueprint ever released for transforming education through investment in teachers. At its core is a fundamental recognition: teachers are the backbone of resilient, high-quality education systems, and investing in their wellbeing is the most effective strategy for improving education outcomes worldwide.

Key pillars of the roadmap include:

• Fair, competitive salaries on par with other professions requiring similar qualifications.

• Decent working conditions, manageable workloads, and student-teacher ratios that support quality learning.

• Safe, inclusive, and non-discriminatory work environments—with zero tolerance for harassment or gender-based violence.

• Gender pay equity and greater support for women’s leadership in education.

• Universal access to quality initial teacher education and ongoing professional development, which must be free, equitable, and integrated into teachers’ official duties.

Empowering Teachers as Policy Shapers

A central theme in the recommendations is the recognition of teachers as experts, not just implementers. The Panel calls for teachers and their representative organizations to be included in policymaking, emphasizing social dialogue and collective bargaining as essential mechanisms for shaping fair and effective education policies.

“Respecting and valuing teachers also means involving them in decision-making,” the Panel states. “Their voices must inform the policies that affect their profession and their students.”

Defending Public Education Financing

The recommendations also issue a clear challenge to international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, urging them to end austerity-driven measures that cap education budgets and teacher wages. Public education systems must be protected from financial policies that undermine the right of every child to be taught by a qualified teacher.

This call is especially critical in low-income and crisis-affected contexts, where financial limitations often lead to precarious employment conditions, salary delays, and loss of teaching personnel.

Teachers in Emergency Contexts: A Global Fund Proposal

Teachers working under extreme conditions—such as conflict zones, natural disasters, or fragile states—are not forgotten. The Panel has called for the creation of a Global Fund for Teachers’ Salaries, a mechanism that would ensure regular and fair compensation for educators operating in the world’s most vulnerable settings.

This fund would acknowledge and support the work of teachers who often serve as the last link to stability and learning for millions of children displaced by crisis.

Education Unions Ready to Act

Education unions worldwide, particularly Education International (EI) and its global affiliates, have welcomed the recommendations as a long-overdue affirmation of their advocacy. The recommendations echo many long-standing union demands and lay the groundwork for concrete change.

To monitor and drive implementation, the Panel calls for the creation of national commissions comprising governments and teacher unions. These bodies would oversee progress, address teacher shortages, and ensure that reforms are co-designed with educators.

“We’re ready to do our part,” said representatives of Education International. “Governments must now step up and work with us to transform these recommendations into reality.”

Global Governance and SDG4 Leadership

The High-Level Panel’s work aligns with the global drive to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4)—quality education for all—and is closely linked to the efforts of the SDG4 High-Level Steering Committee (HLSC). Co-chaired by President Gabriel Boric of Chile and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, the HLSC coordinates global education leadership and includes a “Leaders Group” of 28 high-level representatives and a “Sherpa Group” of technical advisors.

The HLSC, through its Inter-Agency Secretariat, supports the implementation of the Panel’s recommendations and will play a key role in tracking national and international progress.

From Recommendations to Action

The release of the UN Panel’s recommendations is a turning point in global education governance, offering a transformative agenda that speaks to the urgent realities teachers and learners face worldwide. But the report’s impact will depend entirely on how governments, international agencies, financial institutions, and civil society partners act on its proposals.

As millions of students continue to experience disrupted learning, and thousands of educators leave the profession each year, the time for rhetorical support is over. The time for bold, collective action—grounded in respect for teachers and a commitment to inclusive, quality education for all—is now.