Africa is grappling with a critical shortage of 15 million teachers, a situation that hampers the continent’s progress, according to a senior African Union (AU) official.
Mohammed Belhocine, AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation, highlighted this issue during a press briefing at the 45th Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council in Accra, Ghana. Belhocine emphasized that this significant deficit adversely affects Africa’s ability to achieve its education and development goals.
To address this challenge and meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education by 2030, Belhocine called for urgent measures to bridge the teacher shortage. He pointed out that an investment of approximately $90 billion is needed to enhance educational infrastructure and support the continent’s educational targets.
Belhocine attributed the shortage partly to the declining social status of the teaching profession, noting that societal preference has shifted towards more glamorous careers such as business. He advocated for a rebranding of the teaching profession to attract more skilled individuals into the field.
Additionally, Belhocine suggested leveraging digital technology as a partial solution to the shortage. By implementing digital infrastructure, one teacher could potentially reach more students through electronic platforms, thus alleviating some of the supply issues. He stressed that integrating information and communications technology (ICT) into teacher training is crucial for this approach to succeed.
The commissioner also urged for increased global support to bolster Africa’s educational systems, highlighting that in the coming decades, the continent’s youth may become a critical resource for the global community due to lower population growth in other regions.
The AU Executive Council’s session is a precursor to the 6th Mid-Year Coordination Meetings of the AU heads of state, where further discussions on addressing such pressing issues are expected.
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