Teacher shortages around the globe
In a report released on October 5 2023, to mark World Teachers' Day, UNESCO warns about a global shortage of 69 million teachers required to achieve ‘universal basic education by 2030'. This isn't the first time UNESCO has raised this concern, but the ongoing health crisis has brought the teaching profession into sharper focus. It serves as a reminder that being a teacher is a crucial profession, essential for imparting knowledge to students, and yet, there is a significant shortage of these educators.
Many countries are experiencing teacher shortages, including France, Germany, Cameroon, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Morocco, Italy, Portugal, Quebec, Niger, Switzerland, South Korea, Egypt, Japan, and Chad. By 2025, Germany is expected to lack approximately 25,000 teachers, and Portugal will face a shortage of 30,000 teachers by 2030. The situation is particularly concerning in sub-Saharan Africa, where there is only one quality teacher for every 56 students on average, according to Borhene Chakroun, Director of UNESCO's Learning Policies and Systems Division.
The situation is just as concerning in other parts of the world. In the United States, especially in certain states, it's described as ‘catastrophic'. France is alarmed by the large sizes of classes resulting from a lack of teachers. In Germany, teachers are being trained while they work. Many countries are implementing reforms and even seeking foreign teachers. In this context, the teacher shortage could potentially offer an opportunity for those considering a career abroad. Let's take a closer look at the situation in four specific countries.
Quebec
Last June, the Ministry of Education estimated a shortage of 14,230 teachers, which is expected to be reached within the next four years if the situation remains unchanged. The shortage is more significant at the secondary level. Professionals in the education sector consider this forecast ‘even worse' than anticipated. Nicolas Prévost, President of the Fédération québécoise des directions d'établissement d'enseignement, openly expressed his pessimism: "Mathematically, we won't make it." Quebec is also short of educators, psychoeducators and special education technicians.
To cope with the shortage, the Quebec government is actively seeking foreign teachers, and this is not a recent development. Back in 2019, Quebec initiated extensive recruitment efforts, reaching out to other countries to welcome foreign professionals with open arms. In 2020, the Ministry of Education continued its campaign to attract more foreign teachers. The same policy is being pursued this year, with the government remaining committed to facilitating the mobility of foreign educators.
Belgium
It's a race against time in Belgium. The country was still searching for 400 teachers last August. This shortage impacts all levels of education, leading school principals to make tough decisions, like cutting language courses. Belgium has been grappling with this issue for over two decades, as professionals have been voicing concerns about staff shortages. This problem also extends to other academic roles, such as school life assistants and educators. Surprisingly, it's not just schools in remote areas that are affected; even schools in the most affluent neighborhoods are faced with similar issues. The profession is no longer attractive.
Rather than being flooded with job applications, schools are receiving letters of resignation. Confronted with these shortages, some schools are reluctantly hiring teachers who are not always well-trained. Others are turning to contract teachers. While Belgium hasn't initiated a recruitment drive on the scale of Quebec's, there are opportunities for foreign teachers looking to work in Belgium. The process might be even smoother for European citizens, particularly those who live in neighboring regions.
Cameroon
This year, Cameroonian educators turned World Teachers' Day into a day of protest. Their demonstration was followed by a strike on October 9, as their ongoing movement, which started last year, shows no signs of improvement. However, the underlying dissatisfaction has been simmering for even longer. Teachers are calling for improved salaries and greater recognition of their profession. Some attribute their grievances to the consequences of the Structural Adjustment Plan (SAP) implemented in 1993. Before the SAP, teachers were considered part of the state civil service and received salaries that reflected the nature of their profession. However, with the introduction of the SAP, civil servants experienced a 20% reduction in their salaries in 1993, followed by a 50% cut the following year, leading to a growing number of contract teachers.
The government claims to be taking steps to address the issue. Under pressure from labor unions, the authorities are transitioning many contract workers into the civil service. However, the challenge remains substantial. There's a shortage of both human and material resources. In Cameroon, the professionals are available, but they are discouraged due to inadequate salaries and resources.
Japan
The teaching profession in Japan is much more extensive than in many other countries. The excessive workload is taking a toll on educators' physical and mental well-being, leading an increasing number of them to leaving their jobs. The situation has become so critical that experts describe it as a ‘teacher exodus'. According to a survey published by the Nihon Keizai newspaper on January 16, 2023, in 2022, there was a shortage of 2,778 teachers in 2,092 Japanese public primary, middle, and high schools.
The main reason for this issue was a significant decline in the number of young individuals pursuing teacher certification exams. However, there are additional factors at play. The shortage of young recruits leads to greater exhaustion among existing teachers, increased workloads, and more resignations. Japanese teachers are clocking an average of 123 hours of overtime per month, exceeding the 80-hour limit set by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), which marks the threshold for officially ‘crossing the red line into overwork'. Once again, this situation is not new.
International mobility for teaching professionals
There is a lack of interest in the teaching profession in all the states affected by the teacher shortage. This can be attributed to insufficient investment in the national education system, a lack of recognition for academic careers (especially specialized ones), low salaries, and heavy workloads. These factors may deter prospective educators, including those considering working abroad. Japan, currently reevaluating its migration policy, is increasingly considering expatriate teachers to address its needs. However, they acknowledge the considerable challenge of recruiting foreign teachers. While many of these educators specialize in teaching languages, there are relatively few in other subjects.
Cameroon is confronted with an additional challenge: the need for investments in infrastructure and wage increases. A similar financial question is arising in France. For prospective expatriates, these situations present opportunities for working abroad. Of course, one crucial consideration is ensuring that the qualifications obtained abroad are recognized (or can potentially be recognized) in the target country.
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