It’s often said that education is valued most in developing countries. In places where the social safety net is limited, the importance of education is hard-wired into the culture. However, the data shows that on one key measure — the esteem in which teachers are held by their societies — emerging economies vary hugely.
The Varkey Foundation recently ranked the status of teachers throughout the world based on a survey of attitudes towards teachers among 40,000 people in 35 countries. Its Global Teacher Status Index 2018 found that, while China topped the international rankings, every South American nation polled ranked in the bottom half of the survey. Brazil came last out of the 35 countries.
This is important because our study shows for the first time that there is a direct link between teacher status and pupil outcomes as measured by PISA. Many emerging economies face a severe crisis in teacher recruitment and retention: Unesco reports 69m more teachers need to be recruited globally to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030. And to do so, it is essential we raise the status of teachers.