Teacher attrition in Sub-Saharan Africa: The neglected dimension of the teacher supply challenge

This paper is a review of the literature on the attrition of teachers, particular as it relates to teachers in sub-Saharan Africa. For the purposes of this review, attrition is taken to mean all permanent losses of teachers from the teaching profession, for whatever reason. As teacher attrition results in a requirement for replacement teachers, an understanding of the volume and pattern of teacher attrition is an essential prerequisite to planning for teacher supply. The review provides a number of messages for policymakers in education.