PARIS — UNESCO and Education International marked World Teachers' Day on Monday, releasing data on a global shortage of 44 million qualified teachers projected by 2030. The observance carried the theme of recognising and valuing the profession.

World Teachers' Day has been held annually on October 5 since 1994, commemorating the 1966 adoption of the ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. UNESCO co-convenes the event with the International Labour Organization, UNICEF and Education International, the global federation of teachers' unions.

UNESCO's report highlighted that sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia face the steepest recruitment gaps, driven by low pay, heavy workloads and attrition among early-career staff. UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay called on governments to raise investment in teacher training and salaries.

Education International general secretary David Edwards said teacher shortages threatened progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 4 on universal quality education. National ceremonies and awards took place across dozens of countries, including India, Nigeria and the Philippines, where teaching unions pressed for pay increases and reduced class sizes.

The day also featured the presentation of the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize, which recognises outstanding practice in improving teacher effectiveness, with winning institutions sharing a $300,000 award.