The All My Friends Need Teachers campaign and report calls attention to the importance of investing in qualified, well- trained, well-resourced, and well-supported teachers. Teachers are critical to securing high-quality, inclusive education and supporting them is one of the most significant investments we can make to all children’s futures.

Despite this, a lack of qualified teachers represents one of the greatest barriers to universal primary and secondary education in low and lower-middle-income countries. Teachers are in short supply and are too often poorly trained and resourced. Children need good teachers to help them learn effectively and achieve their potential. Still, all too often, children from marginalised backgrounds in low-income countries, including girls, children with disabilities, and displaced children, have limited or no access to appropriately qualified teachers.

Teachers themselves are also facing increasing difficulty in responding to challenging education environments, and unfortunately, all too often children face the brunt of this. Unpredictable and demanding working conditions, a chronic lack of support and increasing pressure is leading to teacher burnout and compounding an already desperate learning crisis.

Globally, even before the pandemic, 258 million children were out-of-school and hundreds of millions more in school but experiencing conditions that prevented their learning. Children who are already the most marginalised, including girls with disabilities, refugee children and the internally displaced, have been disproportionately affected. Without urgent action, stagnation – and possibly negative progress – is anticipated.

In 2021, the UK Government spearheaded girls’ education onto the global stage. Building on earlier commitments to help realise every girl’s right to education. It is essential that girls – and all children – access qualified, trained, and well-supported teachers if they are to realise their potential. Therefore, together with our young campaign champions, we are urging the UK Government to mobilise the G7 and wider international community behind teacher recruitment. The UK and other world leaders must commit to recruiting and training 1.8 million teachers to get 40 million more girls into school by 2026 - a G7 endorsed target.

That’s why thousands of young people across the UK are joining the campaign to call on the government to take action. Let’s ensure there is a teacher in every class, every school, and country.

Join the campaign today to support All My Friends Need Teachers and get your FREE teaching resource pack with everything you need to bring the campaign to life in your classroom or at home – including real life stories and activities.

First published in Engage 24.