As ministers and education leaders prepare to convene for the World Summit on Teachers (WST) on 28-29 August, the global teaching profession faces an unprecedented recruitment and retention crisis. The world needs 50 million more teachers by 2030 across early childhood, primary and secondary education, yet qualified educators are fleeing classrooms due to systematic government failures.
The WST, convened by UNESCO and hosted by the Government of Chile, brings together ministers, UN agencies, teacher unions, civil society organisations and education experts to address the shortage and advance implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 4 - inclusive and equitable quality education for all.
Building on this commitment to transformation, Education International arrives in Santiago with a clear framework for addressing the global teacher shortage that centers on concrete solutions and immediate action.
Teacher voices from across all continents will bring firsthand accounts of public education systems under pressure. Their unified message: structural transformation is essential, not cosmetic fixes.
Post about the Summit
Here are sample messages that you can share on your social media:
📢I am joining colleagues at the UNESCO World Summit on Teachers to call on governments to address the global teacher shortage of 50 million and commit to fully funding public education.
👩🏼🏫👩🏽🏫👩🏿🏫The World Summit on Teachers is an unprecedented opportunity to move from words to action!!! Governments MUST commit to fully funding public education and investing in teachers.
Education International remembers Petra Gwyn-Jones
Former Education International Executive Officer Petra Gwyn-Jones passed away on April 19th in Perk, Belgium. The EI team mourns a dear colleague and celebrates her legacy and contribution to the global education union movement.
Cuba: Education International calls for an end to the fuel blockade and U.S. military threats against the island
In light of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Cuba, and the threat of further U.S. military and economic aggression in the hemisphere, Education International called for an end to the fuel blockade, and a commitment from the United States to "resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy."
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4
27 April 2026
Education International demands an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to protect education in the Middle East
In the face of a war across the Middle East which continues to destroy lives, communities, and education systems. Education International (EI) calls for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, full de‑escalation of hostilities, and the protection of students, teachers, and education workers across the region.
Supporting teachers who are at the centre of education in emergencies
Ahead of Education Cannot Wait (ECW) replenishment later this year, Director Maysa Jalbout stressed the need for governments and donors to stop treating teachers in crisis settings as “invisible” and to work with education unions to measure and improve teacher wellbeing, safety, and professional dignity.
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4
10 March 2026
Go Public! Fund Education: Building union power and quality education across the Pacific
The Education International (EI) Go Public! Fund Education
campaign has consolidated itself as a central policy and mobilisation framework for education unions across the Pacific. What began as a strategic regional call to address teacher shortages
has evolved into a coordinated effort linking national union action to global education policy...
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4
29 August 2025
Historic Santiago Consensus puts teachers at the heart of education transformation
World Summit on Teachers delivers comprehensive framework demanding sustainable investment in teaching profession
Ministers, teacher unions, and education leaders meeting at the World Summit on Teachers in Chile have adopted the Santiago Consensus
, a comprehensive framework that commits governments to address the global shortage of 50 million teachers through concrete policy action.
