Policy frameworks on contract teachers

Education is a fundamental human right that must be secured for all because it is inseparable from human dignity. This means that all of the countries striving to achieve Education for All (EFA) face huge shortages of teachers that can be overcome only at a very high cost. Worldwide, more than 18 million teachers need to be recruited by 2015, but it is sub-Saharan Africa that faces the greatest challenge, as its teaching force will have to increase by 68% over this period. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics estimates that more than 1.5 million teaching jobs must be created in sub-Saharan Africa to cope with the growth in enrolment, and that at least 3.5 million teachers will have to be trained over the next ten years (EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, UNESCO/GMR, p. 55). Viewed in this light, the use of contract teachers offers a number of opportunities. All the countries that have taken this path have made very significant progress in enrolment. However, recourse to contract teachers undoubtedly entails risks for the quality of the education provided and for the retention and effectiveness of teaching staff.