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Global Schools Joins the UNESCO World Summit on Teachers in Santiago, Chile

By Global Schools Program

From August 28-29, the Global Schools Program took part in the UNESCO World Summit on Teachers in Santiago, Chile. Co-hosted by the government of Chile and UNESCO, the Summit aimed to elevate and fund the teaching profession as well as address the global teacher shortage.

Discussions focused on the global teacher shortfall, with UNESCO estimating that 44 million more teachers are needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda.. Panels also explored education financing, teacher salaries, digital literacy in the new era of AI, and elevating the status of the teaching profession.

Global Schools Director, Amanda Abrom, represented the Global Schools Program as a speaker in the breakout session “Rethinking Teacher Education as a Lifelong, Collaborative Endeavour in a Digital Era.” She highlighted the work of the Global Schools Program, particularly the Global Schools Advocates Program. Through this initiative, Global Schools partners with educators and schools worldwide to build community and promote innovative teaching practices. She also emphasized the importance of intergenerational dialogues as seen through the Ages of Globalization’s UN at Your Doorstep live sessions.

The Summit concluded with the launch of the Santiago Consensus, which aims to “reverse the global shortage of teachers and empower the profession to transform education” (Santiago Consensus, UNESCO, 2025). It outlines the following priority actions:

  • Teacher policies and strategies to strengthen the profession
  • Teacher education and professional development from a lifelong learning perspective
  • Social dialogue and teacher participation in decision-making and policy-making
  • Sustainable financing of the teaching profession
  • The future of the teaching profession
  • Inclusion, equity, and gender equality

Global Schools looks forward to contributing to the follow-up discussions and implementation of the consensus through its work with teachers and schools worldwide.