A strong start for every teacher

Education is a foundation for good jobs and the surest path out of poverty. And the teaching profession is a major source of employment for both women and men, providing stable and meaningful work in communities around the world.

On World Teachers’ Day 2025, UNESCO calls for recasting teaching as a collaborative profession. This year’s theme emphasizes teamwork, shared learning, and professional support—qualities that must be cultivated from the very start of a teacher’s career. As we honor teachers, we recognize that supporting them begins long before they enter the classroom.

Demand for teachers is on the rise

Teachers are the heart of every education system—they inspire learners, shape futures, and drive progress in communities. As global demand for education continues to rise, tens of millions of additional teachers will be needed in the coming years. Strengthening the teaching profession not only enhances education systems but also fuels economic growth, supports families, and builds human capital for the future.

At the same time, expanding access to quality education generates new employment opportunities, both within teaching and across other sectors, as educated individuals contribute to broader economic development.

Teacher education is the foundation of success

Initial teacher education (ITE) is the first stage in a teacher’s career development. During this phase, prospective teachers acquire the core knowledge and skills for teaching, develop their professional identity, and lay the groundwork for their career-long learning and professional growth, enabling them to support student learning, foster positive school communities, and contribute to children’s overall growth and well-being.

ITE programs differ across countries in terms of type and level of education. Typically, ITE is a formal program provided by teacher training colleges or universities, comprising a series of courses with field placements (or practicums) for practice in schools. In some cases, ITE takes place at the secondary school level.

High-quality ITE is the foundation for empowering teachers to thrive and for education systems to fulfill their promise to every child.

Countries around the world are looking to build strong ITE systems so that every child has a well-prepared teacher ready to meet current and future challenges. Today, we have released 11 country case studies on ITE, offering diverse experiences and lessons learned in developing ITE systems. Each case study provides unique insights into how different countries have approached the challenge of preparing primary school teachers. By sharing these experiences, we contribute to the global knowledge base and support ongoing efforts to enhance teacher preparation everywhere.

Building strong ITE systems requires collaboration and quality

The case studies reveal the complexities of ITE systems. Common themes emerge, including the need to:

1. Make ITE programs attractive and select high-potential candidates for admission. For example, the establishment of Bahrain Teachers College in 2008 included initiatives to raise the prestige of the institution, including applying more competitive admissions criteria and providing an attractive admissions package to encourage strong candidates to apply. And Morocco has introduced new measures, such as a stipend, to attract high-caliber students into ITE programs.
2. Provide relevant and impactful ITE program content by skilled teacher educators. For example, in Zambia, teacher educators received professional development on primary school literacy teaching, recognizing that they cannot teach subject matter and pedagogy that they have never seen or practiced and for which they do not have adequate, relevant resources.
3. Incorporate quality field placements for teaching experience and practice. Finland provides a strong example of extensive and well-supported field placement experiences as part of ITE programs to ensure that new teachers are well prepared for classroom realities, including through specifically prepared schools where school-based teacher mentors and ITE institution-based teacher educators collaborate to support the student teacher. In Bahrain, field placements were incorporated into every year of the ITE program, rather than being limited to a single placement near the end of the program, beginning with the student teachers observing and gradually increasing to full teaching responsibilities under the guidance of mentor teachers.
4. Align institutions for responsive, efficient, and quality-driven ITE. For example, Ghana’s broad-based consultations with stakeholders as part of its ITE reforms promoted strong engagement and a sense of ownership over the reforms, resulting in the move from a fragmented and inconsistent teacher education landscape to national teacher standards and a unified teacher education curriculum. These efforts ensured alignment of the school curriculum and teacher preparation.
5. Enhance quality assurance processes to maintain high standards in ITE. For example, Chile’s General Law of Education (2010) and Teacher Professional Development Law (2016) raised the standards for ITE programs and made external accreditation a requirement of all ITE institutions, both public and private.

High-quality ITE gives teachers a strong start to their professional journey. Alongside continuous professional development, it enables teachers to achieve their goals for student learning and well-being, and it empowers them to contribute meaningfully to the improvement of their country’s education system.

Teachers transform lives and shape the future

To all teachers: thank you for your passion, resilience, and unwavering commitment to learning. Your work transforms lives, and your voice is essential in shaping the future of education.

Source: blogs.worldbank.org