Evidence-based solutions to teacher shortages

Teachers play a vital role in our societies by facilitating the process of students’ learning and socialisation, and promoting critical thinking (or, more generally, the so-called ‘21st century skills’) as well as civic engagement.

As noted in a Eurydice report (2021, p. 11), teachers ‘play the most important role in making education a fruitful experience’, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of the profession in ensuring that all students have equal opportunities to access high-quality education (Eurydice, 2021). 

Yet the teaching profession has experienced a decline in its appeal, attracting fewer young people and losing qualified teachers (Eurydice, 2021). Teacher shortages have become a global challenge with complex and pressing implications that require long-term solutions and consistent investments (Eurydice et al., 2018). 

In the European Union (EU), teacher shortages are a common issue, particularly in primary and secondary education, with more than half of Member States reporting an acute need for qualified teachers (Eurydice et al., 2018). 

Authors 

Kristof De Witte; Willem De Cort; Letizia Gambi

Cite as

European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE), De Witte, K., De Cort, W. and Gambi, L., Evidence-based solutions to teacher shortages – EENEE-NESET analytical report 1/2023, Publications Office of the European Union, 2023, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/475647