“Now, more than ever, we need to move towards learning societies. People everywhere need skills, knowledge and high-quality education,” the agency’s Secretary-General António Guterres said.

Above all, they need the best teachers possible, the high representative said on the occasion of the 14th Forum of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, whose conclusions were released on Monday.

The recommendations issued by this high-level panel considered dignity, humanity, diversity, equity and inclusion, quality, innovation, leadership and sustainability as central imperatives.

The experts recognized the need to value and respect the teaching profession, which requires decent working conditions, competitive salaries, space for teachers to have a voice in decision-making, and opportunities for development and innovation.

At the same time, they stressed the need to create an enabling environment that allows them to become drivers of change, to help learners navigate critically toward knowledge, and to acquire the skills and competencies needed in today’s world.

Teachers should not be mere transmitters of information, but active and collaborative partners with learners, the panel advising the secretary general warned in its report.

jrr/arm/mem/ebr