A new fact sheet released by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 examines the status of teachers, including how teachers are valued, supported and paid, 60 years after the adoption of the landmark 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
The fact sheet was released to mark World Teachers’ Day 2026, bringing together ministers, teachers and education experts at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to discuss how to strengthen the profession. Co-convened by UNESCO, the International Labour Organization, UNICEF and Education International, the celebration took place under the theme “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures”.
Every learner deserves a teacher who is well prepared, well supported and empowered to thrive in the profession. Realizing this right depends on how societies value teachers and the teaching profession. In fact, the value we place on teachers reflects the value we place on future generation.
Joint message by UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF and Education International
Feeling valued matters
How teachers are seen by society shapes whether they stay in their jobs. In 75% of the countries taking part in the OECD’s TALIS 2024 survey, fewer than 40% of teachers felt that their profession was valued. Those who felt valued were over 10% less likely to think about leaving within five years.
The stakes are high: 58% of the teachers the world needs by 2030 will be hired not to expand the workforce, but to replace those who leave the profession. The fact sheet shows where the losses are greatest: attrition rates are 7.2% in pre-primary education, 5.4% in secondary and 4.7% in primary.
The reality of the job
The new data also reveals that pre-primary and primary teachers earn slightly less than other professionals with similar qualifications. Overall, in two out of five of the 68 countries analyzed, teacher salaries remain below those of similarly qualified professionals across all education levels.
Teaching also comes with a heavy workload. Teachers spend an average of 19 hours in the classroom per week, but work around 60 hours in total, much of it includes unpaid preparation, marking and administrative tasks. In primary schools, the global pupil-trained teacher ratio stands at 28 to 1, the highest of any level.
READ MORE: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/new-unesco-data-every-two-teachers-world-needs-one-more?hub=701
