To overcome this teacher’s deficit and to impact each country about the lack, the UNESCO decided to concentrate the theme of the international teacher’s day 2023 around the quote "The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage". Teachers are the heart of education and in many countries are leaving the profession they love, and fewer young people aspire to become one. UNESCO estimates that the world needs over 69 million new teachers by 2030, and the shortage only continues to grow.
Why is there a worldwide deficit of 69 million teachers?
There are several factors causing the shortage of teachers, chief of which is the huge demand for education from a growing school-age population. The shortage of teachers is most acute in Africa and Southern Asia, where enrolment numbers are soaring as a result of demographic change and the efforts to promote greater equality, which means that more girls and women are pursuing an education and, increasingly so, at a higher level. In addition, the profession has difficulty attracting, recruiting and retaining new talent as it suffers from a rather low status and a social standing which does not correspond with the importance attached to the profession. In short, teachers are too few, classrooms are too crowded, and teachers are overworked, demotivated and unsupported.
What is the importance of the International teacher’s day in 2023 ?
the 2023 celebrations will aim to put the importance of stopping the decline in the number of teachers and then starting to increase that number at the top of the global agenda. Through various activities, they will advocate for a dignified and valued teaching profession, analyse their challenges, and showcase inspiring practices to attract, retain and motivate teachers and educators. It will also examine the ways in which education systems, societies, communities, and families recognise, appreciate, and actively support teachers.
"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." – Albert Einstein.