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I think I want to research the shortages of teachers, which must be addressed to reach SDG goal #4. This is because without our teachers, we will have vulnerable states within our education system. I will focus on Sub-Saharan, Africa and research about the way the technology advantages will uphold teacher shortages.

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Technology is being used to expand access to education in places where there aren't enough teachers. This offers a possible innovative solution to the shortage.

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Digital learning and transformation of education

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Open digital learning opportunities for all

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In many countries, girls face barriers to education. This is another issue under SDG 4 that makes me think about how shortages and inequality overlap.

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Investing in girls' education transforms communities, countries and the entire world. Girls who receive an education are less likely to marry young and more likely to lead healthy, productive lives. They earn higher incomes, participate in the decisions that most affect them, and build better futures for themselves and their families.

Girls' education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. It contributes to more stable, resilient societies that give all individuals - including boys and men - the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

But education for girls is about more than access to school. It's also about girls feeling safe in classrooms and supported in the subjects and careers they choose to pursue - including those in which they are often under-represented.

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Gender equality in education benefits every child.

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The World Bank argues that teacher quality is as important as the number of teachers. This broadens my research from just quantity to how prepared teachers are.

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Effective interventions to improve student learning depend on strong teachers. Transitioning from a less effective teacher to a highly effective one can equate to several additional years of schooling and learning. Teachers also significantly impact students’ long-term social and employment outcomes, helping to prepare them for the world of work. Moreover, the teaching profession itself is a major source of jobs for men and women. Indeed, it will be a key employment opportunity in the future as tens of millions of additional teachers will be needed around the world.

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Latin America is also experiencing a teaching crisis with shortages, low pay, and burnout. This shows the problem is not only in Asia or Africa.

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Tackling the Learning Crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Between 2013-2023, the World Bank implemented 48 education projects across 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean

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Sub-Saharan African faces One of the the world's worst teacher shortage, needing over 15 more teachers. This helps me compare the Philippines challenges to other regions.

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The persistent teacher gap in sub-Saharan Africa is jeopardizing

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Newly released projections reveal that more and smarter investment in teachers and teaching is needed to enable Africa’s children and youth to access quality education. According to new calculations, to reach education goals by 2030, sub-Saharan Africa will need to recruit a 15 million teachers.

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The World Bank calls the education situation in the Philippines a "crisis" because of the shortages and poor teacher support has contributed to massive learning loss.

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Philippines - Learning Poverty Brief 2024 (English)

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Philippines - Learning Poverty Brief 2024 (English)

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One of many reasons teachers leave or avoid working in the education field in the Philippines is due to low salaries. This shows how economic issues fuel the shortage.

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Looking at these resources, the way these programs are shaped to help address the teacher shortages only interests me deeper. So my question is, how have NGO and government programs helped reduce the teacher shortage in the Philippines, and what challenges them?

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UNICEF reports that challenges in the Philippine education system include shortages of qualified teachers and overcrowded classrooms. This shows how global organizations recognize the scale of the problem.

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To fulfil a child's right to quality and inclusive lifelong learning, UNICEF works with the Philippine government and partners to ensure that children are ready for school and schools are ready for children.

Our aim is to increase access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities for children and adolescents by strengthening the government's capacity to improve the quality and relevance of teaching and the learning environment.

UNICEF envisions schools to be a place of convergence of services and programs for children, including nutrition, disaster risk reduction, and water, sanitation & hygiene.

It is essential that every Filipino child, whatever their circumstance, has access to learning that offers a quality, inclusive and relevant curriculum.

UNICEF advocates for greater investment in the country's cognitive capital. With skilled teachers, engaging educational materials, basic toilets, clean water and hygiene facilities, children can acquire knowledge and socio-emotional skills they need to thrive.

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To fulfil a child's right to quality and inclusive lifelong learning, UNICEF works with the Philippine government and partners to ensure that children are ready for school and schools are ready for children. Our aim is to increase access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities for children and adolescents by strengthening the government's capacity to improve the quality and relevance of teaching and the learning environment.

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The government has promised to hire thousands of new teachers, but reports suggest the space isn't fast enough to close the gap.

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Albay adopts PBBM’s 2023 El Niño mitigation, adaptation plan

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The Albay Provincial Agriculture Office has adopted the 2023 El Niño mitigation and adaptation plan of the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who also sits as DA Secretary. In an interview Wednesday, Lorena Quising, Albay…

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Many Filipino teachers migrate abroad for better pay, which worsens the teacher shortage at home. This connects a local education problem to global labor issues.

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Overworked, underpaid Filipino teachers leaving for bigger paychecks abroad

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STEVEN (not his real name) left his teaching job in the Catholic-majority Philippines to work in the United States because the paycheck abroad was about 10 time

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Some classrooms in public schools have over 60 students per teacher. This makes it hard for the student to learn and for the teachers to manage effectively.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To fulfil a child's right to quality and inclusive lifelong learning, UNICEF works with the Philippine government and partners to ensure that children are ready for school and schools are ready for children.

Our aim is to increase access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities for children and adolescents by strengthening the government's capacity to improve the quality and relevance of teaching and the learning environment.

UNICEF envisions schools to be a place of convergence of services and programs for children, including nutrition, disaster risk reduction, and water, sanitation & hygiene.

It is essential that every Filipino child, whatever their circumstance, has access to learning that offers a quality, inclusive and relevant curriculum.

UNICEF advocates for greater investment in the country's cognitive capital. With skilled teachers, engaging educational materials, basic toilets, clean water and hygiene facilities, children can acquire knowledge and socio-emotional skills they need to thrive.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To fulfil a child's right to quality and inclusive lifelong learning, UNICEF works with the Philippine government and partners to ensure that children are ready for school and schools are ready for children. Our aim is to increase access to formal and non-formal learning opportunities for children and adolescents by strengthening the government's capacity to improve the quality and relevance of teaching and the learning environment.

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There are thousands of unfilled teaching positions in the Philippines, leading to overcrowded classrooms. This shows the urgency of finding solutions.

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Overcrowding, classroom shortages force double shifts in Northern Mindanao schools

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What should be full school days are split in half, or worse, into thirds. Learning is compressed. Teaching is stretched.

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I am focusing on SDG 4: Quality Education because I am curious of how the teacher Shortages in the Philipines affect the quality of education. This connected with the SDG since it's about increasing the supply of qualified teachers.

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Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was already off-track to achieve its education targets. If no additional measures are taken, only one in six countries will meet SDG4 and achieve universal access to quality education by 2030. An estimated 84 million children and young people will still be out of school and an estimated 300 million student will still not have the basic numeracy and literacy skills they need to succeed in life. To deliver SDG4, education systems must be re-imagined, and education financing must become a priority national investment.

Target 4.1: Between 2015 and 2021, the school completion rate increased from 85% to 87% in primary, from 74% to 77% in lower secondary and from 54% in 2015 to 58% in upper secondary education. Even before the onset of COVID19, these rates had slowed down relative to progress in 2010-15. Looking closely at reading levels at the end of primary school, for which trend data cover 34% of the world's children, the analysis shows that global learning levels showed no progress between 2015-2019. Furthermore, learning losses due to COVID-related school closures have been documented in 4 out of 5 of the 104 countries that have carried out such studies.

Target 4.2: Participation rate in organized learning one year before the official primary entry age has stagnated at around 75% since 2015, still far from the target of ensuring that all girls and boys have access to quality pre-primary education by 2030.

Target 4.3: Among 131 countries with data from 2017 onwards, on average approximately one in six youth and adults aged 15-64 recently participated in formal or non-formal education and training. Participation is substantially higher among youth aged 15-24 (40%-50%), compared to those aged 25-55 (only 5% for most regions).

Target 4.a: Basic school infrastructure is far from universal. In 2020, approximately a quarter of primary schools globally do not have access to basic services such as electricity, drinking water and basic sanitation facilities. For other facilities such as computer facilities and the provision of disability adapted infrastructure, figures are substantially lower, with around 50% of primary schools with access.

Target 4.c: Globally, in 2020, over 14% of teachers are still not qualified according to national norms, with little improvement since 2015.

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Goal 4 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs

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Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

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UNESCO reports that Sub-Saharan Africa needs 17 million more teachers by 2030 to reach universal education goals. This shows the urgency of the problem.

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Global report on teachers: What you need to know

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Teachers play a key role in shaping the future, unlocking every learner's potential, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 4 of inclusive and equitable quality education. Approaching 2030, a major issue looms large: The world is facing a significant teacher shortage.

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UNICEF: Why Teachers Matter for African Education

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UNICEF: Why Teachers Matter for African Education

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UNICEF emphasizes that having qualified teachers is one of the strongest predictors of student success. Without them, progress toward SDG 4 is impossible.

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Foundations Empowering Youth with Education Technology in Africa

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Foundations Empowering Youth with Education Technology in Africa

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This article highlights how global foundations are supporting African youth through education technology initiatives. It shows that while teacher shortages are a major challenge, technology can help bridge the gap by giving students access to digital learning tools. I find this interesting because it shifts the focus from only hiring more teachers to also equipping students and communities with resources that make learning possible even with limited staff.

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Empowering Africa’s youth through education and technology

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By addressing gaps in education aided by technology, we can empower Africa’s children to participate and excel in an increasingly technology-driven world.

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UNESCO Promotes Digital Learning in Africa

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UNESCO Promotes Digital Learning in Africa

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UNESCO stresses the importance of digital learning platforms to support education systems where teachers are scarce. Technology such as online lessons, virtual training for teachers, and e-learning hubs can reduce the pressure on overworked teachers. This shows how international organizations are helping fill gaps while local systems strengthen.

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Digital learning and transformation of education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Open digital learning opportunities for all

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Mobile Learning Apps Supporting African Students

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Mobile Learning Apps Supporting African Students

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The GSMA shows how mobile phones are being used to deliver lessons and connect students with educational content. Since many African households have a mobile phone but not a trained teacher nearby, this technology offers a way to overcome shortages and reach underserved learners.

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How does the integration of digital education technologies reshape the role of teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa amid persistent shortages, and what implications does this have for educational quality?

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How does the integration of digital education technologies reshape the role of teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa amid persistent shortages, and what implications does this have for educational quality?

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What structural challenges limit the ability of technology to offset teacher shortages in Sub-Saharan Africa, and how do these challenges influence the long-term sustainability of such solutions?

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What structural challenges limit the ability of technology to offset teacher shortages in Sub-Saharan Africa, and how do these challenges influence the long-term sustainability of such solutions?

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This question asks more so about what challenges specifically come to affect that makes it hard to have technology help the shortages and to actually dig past the hype of technology and see whether the shortages can be solved through the technology advancement.

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How do low-tech and high-tech education solutions differently address the impact of teacher shortages in Sub-Saharan Africa, and what does this reveal about the future of equitable access to education in the region?

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How do low-tech and high-tech education solutions differently address the impact of teacher shortages in Sub-Saharan Africa, and what does this reveal about the future of equitable access to education in the region?

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This website was brought to attention because of the ways it was explaining how the technology can be a solution to teacher shortages. It gave the option to provide interactive tools such as mobile learning apps. This way technology can help advance kids in education but to also help resolve the crisis of these shortages.

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Bridging the gap: How technology can mitigate the global teaching crisis | Global Partnership for Education

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Well-designed technology initiatives, managed and implemented by qualified and caring educators, can significantly enhance educational opportunities for both teachers and students and help tackle the ongoing global teaching crisis.

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Bookings to attention that way not be able to replace the teachers but it is possible to keep the learning education system active by delivering basic education to students through radio and mobile phones. This potential solution can come to place when teachers may not be available.

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Research

Shutterstock/mavo

Editor's note:

This essay opens Chapter 5 of Foresight Africa 2025-2030, which examines how emerging technologies can address some of the continent's most pressing challenges, including economic, environmental, social, and governance issues, and be a game changer for Africa's development.

AI and emerging technologies can play a catalyzing role in achieving development outcomes, but there are important nuances to bear in mind regarding how and to what extent they may do so.

Economic outcomes

By 2035, AI could double the GDP rate of African countries.⁴ According to Vineusa et al.'s assessment of the SDGs, AI could positively benefit 42 economic targets (70% of what the authors refer to as the "economic" SDG group) while negatively impacting 20 (33%).⁵ The economic benefits of AI and other emerging technologies often stem from their impact on productivity, both through improving within-sector productivity and through structural change.⁶ In three of the main sectors of the economy-agriculture, industry, and services- 4IR technologies can play a catalytic role in implementing public and private investment, regulation, and service delivery.⁷

However, inequality represents a major hurdle when it comes to the spread of emerging technologies, particularly, the challenge of ensuring that people are not left behind as jobs continue to change in the wake of new technology. Africa's demographic future-by 2063 it will be home to half of the world's total working-age population-makes this an extremely important challenge for the continent to overcome. ⁸

Social outcomes

Based on Vinuesa et. al's SDG assessment, AI has the potential to facilitate 67 targets (82%) within the "society" SDG group, including SDG 1 on no poverty, SDG 4 on quality education, SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, and SDG 11 on sustainable cities. ⁹ AI can act as an enabler to achieving these goals primarily through its potential to improve the production, provision, and distribution of food, health, water, and energy services while also contributing toward a circular economy that steers resources most efficiently to minimize waste.

Within health care, Wang et. al are looking into how health care could benefit from a combination of smaller-scale, task-specific models and large-scale generic AIs which are currently less common in medicine. ¹² They find that large-scale AI models can play a particularly helpful role within medical dialog and medical image analysis; however, these models require a far larger amount of data, which could lead to their development being concentrated in regions outside of Africa.

Despite this potential, AI may also negatively impact 31 SDG targets (38% of Vinusa et. al's "society" SDG group). ¹³ These consequences stem from the inequality that may increase if these technologies are not evenly distributed (for example, if African small-scale farmers are left behind, meanwhile larger agricultural production companies in other regions capture the market with technology-based solutions), or if AI increases or reinforces discrimination against women and minorities through biased algorithms or image recognition.

Environmental outcomes

The relationship between AI/emerging technologies and the environment has been heavily researched, and the literature emphasizes contrasting impacts. There are important concerns to highlight regarding the environmental impact of AI and other advanced technologies, including resource depletion and carbon emissions if the high-energy needs of AI applications are met by non-carbon-neutral sources. On the other hand, AI has been identified as a tool that can help mitigate the effects of climate change through weather forecasting, early warning systems, land resource management, sustainable agriculture techniques, climate risk assessment, and more, as a GSMA study outlines. ¹⁴

Vinusa et. al's evaluation of the SDGs found that AI could be an enabler for 25 targets (93% of the environmental SDG group) due to its ability to better model the impacts of climate change, identify oil spills, identify desertification trends, and other use cases. ¹⁵

According to Olatunde, Adelani, and Sikhakhane, AI, coupled with other emerging technologies such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and remote sensing, can help Africa optimize water management by reducing waste through leak detection systems, predicting equipment failures, and resolving contamination issues immediately, which is critical for environmental outcomes and has key spillovers to other development goals related to sanitation and agriculture. ¹⁹

Governance outcomes

AI can significantly help African governments deliver public services and strengthen African governance. In Togo, for example, the government successfully used AI to refine targeting for the second phase of its Novissi cash transfer program, allowing 57,000 recipients of social funds in 100 of the poorest towns to be identified without contact. ²⁰

However, challenges arise within governance, as AI can also sow polarization and promote misinformation that can negatively impact social cohesion (thus negatively impacting SDG 10 on reduced inequalities) or could hinder access to justice if algorithms contain inherent biases. ²³

Gaps and challenges

A literature review on the 4IR in Africa by Kibe, Kwanya, and Nyagowa found that 4IR technologies are already being deployed for education, health services, e-commerce, tourism, records integrity, and project management in Africa. ²⁴ However, they find that African countries are held back from realizing the full potential of 4IR technologies for further development goals by a lack of 4IR skills, infrastructure, stakeholder involvement, and relevant policies. These gaps and challenges cluster around two issues: ethics and security and inequality.

Ethics and security

While it is clear that AI and emerging technologies have incredible potential for positive change, they can also be leveraged for nefarious purposes. According to the Institute of Development Studies, as of 2023, African governments were spending over $1 billion on digital surveillance technologies, some of which are used without the proper legal protections in place. ²⁵

There are also ethical and security risks that arise from a lack of African data powering AI models. These risks are particularly amplified in the health care sector, where implementing models that provide diagnostic assistance or advice based on data from other countries can be impacted by local bias which can lead to troubling implications on health outcomes. ²⁸

Inequality in data, infrastructure, digital skills, and research and development

One of the main challenges facing African countries regarding AI and emerging technologies is the potential for increased inequality both within and between continents when it comes to data, infrastructure and connectivity, digital skills and human capital, and research and development.

Data

Because AI development relies on the availability of large amounts of data, there remain gaps and challenges in making sure that Africa is not left behind in terms of data production, quality, and accessibility. A variety of languages and local contexts are necessary to avoid bias, but trends in the proportions of local content on the internet are concerning. Only 0.02% of total internet content is in African languages (there is 2,650 times more English content), and as of 2023, only 2.5% of the global AI market comes from Africa. ²⁹

Infrastructure and connectivity

Digital skills and human capital

The usage gap points to another key hurdle in the full implementation of AI for development: digital skills and human capital. Universities are starting to offer AI courses, but there is often a lack of opportunity for hands-on learning. The multidisciplinary skills needed to translate AI applications into development use cases may also be lacking, due to an exclusive focus on machine learning skills or data science. ³³

Research and development

Currently, AI funding, researchers, and publications are concentrated in the West, with the United States alone home to 60% of the top-tier AI researchers and $250 billion in private funding.³⁶ Africa, South America, and most Asian countries have contributed less than 5% of peer-reviewed papers across AI subfields since 2014, while the U.S. and China have contributed 30% and 18% respectively.³⁷ This leads to disparities in data and talent availability and potential biases in AI systems. Resource constraints and weak infrastructure hinder some African countries' ability to rely on foundation models, let alone develop their own. Graphic processing units and cloud computing have high costs, which pose a challenge for researchers with limited resources.³⁸ So far, AI startups in Africa have relied on grant funding, as the private sector has yet to overcome its risk aversion in investing in startups that use high tech innovation in science and engineering, in turn amplifying concerns that AI algorithms are being developed without African context.³⁹ AI still represents only a small proportion of Africa's $4 billion in total funding for tech startups in 2023.⁴⁰

Strategies to unlock the potential of AI and emerging tech

Despite these challenges, some African countries have already emerged as leaders in AI research and development, AI startups, tech hubs, research initiatives, and government strategies for emerging technologies. Kenya in particular is leading the way in terms of public interest and engagement in AI. The 2024 Standard AI Index found that 27% of Kenyans use OpenAI daily. ⁴¹ As African countries continue to face both the challenges and opportunities of AI, below are some key strategies to steer AI and emerging technologies toward maximum impact.

Implementing national, regional, and continental strategies

Seven African countries have developed AI strategies while others are creating specific entities to tackle these issues-Kenya's Blockchain and AI Taskforce⁴² and South Africa's Presidential Commission on the Fourth Industrial Revolution,⁴³ for example. In July 2024, the African Union Executive Council endorsed its inaugural Continental AI Strategy, which calls for strengthening regional and global cooperation and a commitment to "an Africa-centric, development-focused approach to AI, promoting ethical, responsible, and equitable practices across the continent."⁴⁴ As continental and national strategies take shape, it will be important to ensure inclusive and collaborative processes that include perspectives on the ethics of AI. Key to moving these strategies forward will be the establishment of accountability mechanisms as well as clear ownership of the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder.⁴⁵

Supporting partnerships and support for AI research

Given the potential consequences of not being involved in the research and development of AI systems, Africa must prioritize partnerships between African universities, ministries, and private sector players with international players working in this space.⁴⁶ Already, African universities are forming partnerships, including in Ghana, Uganda, and South Africa, where universities have formed AI labs focused on social impact. AI startups are also helping contribute to African-led research. Examples include Intron Health, a Nigerian startup that is developing a natural language processing tool for African accents in clinical settings and iCog labs, an Ethiopian startup that is developing an Amharic-speaking robot.⁴⁷ As Asiegbu and Okolo point out, these innovations sprouted from local, grassroots communities who are training and spreading an AI research ecosystem.⁴⁸ As AI becomes more advanced, African governments and universities must continue to make it a priority to pursue public and private research and development initiatives.⁴⁹ More broadly, partnerships between the five key types of actors involved in AI (data holders, hardware/software providers, technical partners, domain experts, and financial partners) as identified by GSMA will be key for collaboration and synergy in order to implement positive AI use cases in Africa.⁵⁰

Expanding physical, digital, and energy infrastructure

Developing 4IR-ready human capital

Developing future-looking regulatory frameworks

Enabling anticipatory regulatory frameworks and making investments must be prioritized by policymakers to foster a thriving marketplace for emerging technologies,⁵⁹ especially to address challenges such as inequality and ethics, and to purposefully steer technology toward uses for societal good.⁶⁰ So far, use cases on the continent have been concentrated in IT services, computer software, and management consulting, with less focus on addressing development goals.⁶¹ Legal and regulatory frameworks along with incentives can help steer the focus toward local, inclusive, and sustainable AI solutions⁶² while also mitigating risks and biases.⁶³ These frameworks should avoid blanket prohibitions, but rather should recognize that AI applications and use cases differ greatly from each other.⁶⁴ As Davis, Signé, and Esposito explain, leaders must be equipped with three tools: transparent and holistic policymaking approaches, renewed efforts to collaborate across jurisdictions, and a shift toward agile governance.⁶⁵

Investing in robust cybersecurity

Amid the rapid emergence and ever-evolving nature of these technologies, cybersecurity has become one of the most important investments.⁶⁶ Cybersecurity should be addressed at multiple levels including the systems level, firm level, and individual level.⁶⁷ Governments can be proactive in establishing cybersecurity agencies and adopting emergency response strategies,⁶⁸ while private companies can promote cybersecurity skills for their employees and practice cyber risk protection within their leadership and decisionmaking.⁶⁹ Awareness-raising and training will be key for citizens and for public, private, academic, and civil society organizations.⁷⁰

Leveraging green technologies

Conclusion

Enthusiasm and innovation among African entrepreneurs and end-users are helping Africa forge ahead with the 4IR and its technologies, offering new pathways to development. However, with only five years left until the 2030 SDG deadline, African policymakers, development practitioners, and technologists alike are looking at the potential for AI and emerging technologies to help accelerate progress and unlock new innovations. The benefits of 4IR technologies for economic, social, environmental, and governance goals include wide reachability, lower costs, higher productivity, and new techniques to meet these goals, while their challenges include ethical concerns and perpetuated inequality. To navigate these realities, policymakers should focus on leveraging Africa's strengths (entrepreneurship, youth population, etc.) when considering pathways forward. African countries need investments in factors that enable 4IR technologies to thrive, such as infrastructure and digital skills, as well as nuanced and forward-looking regulatory frameworks to encourage innovation while protecting citizens.

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Leveraging AI and emerging technologies to unlock Africa's potential | Brookings

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Landry Signé analyzes how artificial intelligence and other technologies can catalyze achievement of development outcomes in Africa.