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The Global Status of Teachers 2024 (GST) report highlights a stark reality: teacher shortages constitute a crisis with profound implications for education systems in many countries. Drawing on insights from 204 teacher unions across 121 countries, the report provides an overview of the current challenges and opportunities facing the profession.

A key finding of the report, based on teacher unions perceptions, is the widespread shortage of teachers across all educational levels, with particularly acute deficits in special education, STEM fields, and secondary education, in many countries. This crisis is viewed as stemming not only from insufficient recruitment but also from alarmingly high rates of attrition. According to unions, the most significant factor contributing to these shortages is inadequate pay and compensation. Additional drivers include limited career progression, ineffective management practices, excessive workloads, and low professional status—challenges rooted in the broader issue of the teaching profession's low status in many countries.

In many countries, unions report that teachers lack the authority and influence to shape policies and decisions affecting their professional roles. Unions highlight that teachers are often excluded from decision-making processes that directly impact their work, particularly at district, state, and national levels. They also point to weak partnerships between teachers, their representatives, and governments, which diminish educators’ influence over professional and policy matters critical to their roles and the broader education system. In some countries, unions report that educators face restrictions on fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and the ability to organise, further undermining their capacity to advocate for meaningful change.

Although teachers are widely acknowledged for their essential contributions to society, unions report that they are often undervalued compared to other professions and perceived as an unattractive career choice for younger generations. According to unions, challenging working conditions—including excessive workloads, large class sizes, insufficient respect, and mental health challenges—exacerbate this issue. These systemic problems are frequently overlooked by governments, further compounding teachers’ negative experiences and contributing to the global teacher shortage.

Despite the challenges outlined, the report emphasises that these conditions are not universal and highlights examples where high-retention strategies have successfully addressed teacher shortages. In certain East Asian and Northern European countries, teachers are accorded higher professional status and experience greater respect, recognition, and access to professional learning. In these countries, teachers are perceived as nation-builders, and significant investments are made in their compensation, professional development and working conditions. These measures contribute to higher retention rates and improved educational outcomes, demonstrating that systemic change is possible with deliberate policies and a commitment to valuing educators.

A notable feature of high-status education systems is the prioritisation of decent pay, respect for teachers, and opportunities for professional learning. In countries such as those in Northern Europe, teachers also benefit from manageable workloads, professional autonomy, smaller class sizes, and high levels of trust. By fostering supportive environments, these nations have created conditions that enable teachers to succeed in their roles and remain in the profession. However, this stands in stark contrast to many parts of the world, where excessive workloads, large class sizes, and a lack of attention to teachers’ emotional and professional needs contribute to stress, burnout, and disillusionment. The disparity underscores the need for systemic reform in countries where teaching remains undervalued.

Beyond individual working conditions and professional status, unions report that teachers are concerned about the broader education systems in which they operate. The report highlights their commitment to equity, advocating for fair resource distribution and meaningful access for marginalised students, including those affected by disability, immigration status, or socioeconomic disadvantage. Teachers also express concerns about the growing privatisation of education, which threatens to exacerbate inequities by favouring some students at the expense of others. The report highlights two key ways privatisation can undermine equity and challenge teachers: it diverts essential resources and quality educators away from public schools, widening the gap between private and public education, and fosters profit-driven priorities that override educational quality and inclusivity. This exacerbates disparities, leaving public school teachers under-resourced and disproportionately responsible for supporting marginalised and disadvantaged students.

The report underscores that teachers and their unions are eager to address the challenges they face by taking a more active role in shaping the governance, curriculum, and assessment frameworks that define their work and students’ learning. As professionals with expertise in education, teachers are uniquely positioned to understand the challenges facing the profession and contribute to reforms that empower them and enable them to excel in their roles. The innovations introduced by educators during the pandemic illustrate their capacity for forward-thinking solutions, yet many systems have reverted to outdated norms instead of capitalising on this creativity. Moving forward, governments must engage in meaningful partnerships with teachers and their unions, addressing not only pay and working conditions but also fundamental issues of equity, curriculum design, and systemic reform.

The report calls for global action to address these systemic issues, urging policymakers to prioritise investments in teachers’ working conditions and elevate their status to ensure equitable and high-quality education for all. By addressing these challenges collectively, the teaching profession can be transformed into a sustainable and respected cornerstone of society.