2008 education data now available
The number of primary teachers has increased globally from 25.8 million in 1999 to 27.8 million in 2007, according to data released by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). Dramatic changes were seen in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arab States which have experienced a rise of 42 per cent and 26 per cent respectively. Despite these increases, UIS projections indicate a further need for more primary teachers.
In 2007, there were 2.8 million primary teachers in sub-Saharan Africa compared to roughly 2 million in 1999. Yet, it is imperative to continue to augment teacher numbers worldwide to meet the 2015 goal of universal primary education (UPE). This global need is further analysed in the recent UIS report on primary teacher shortages which forecasts the numbers of staff needed by region.
Despite the rise in teacher numbers, the quality of education remains a concern as reflected by the pupil-teacher ratios (PTRs). Primary PTRs have increased since 1999 in South and West Asia, as well as in sub-Saharan Africa, where ratios rose from 36:1 to 39:1 and 41:1 to 44:1 respectively. PTRs in all other regions, however, have decreased which is why the global primary PTR has remained constant at 25:1 in both 1999 and 2007.
According to newly released 2008 data available for individual countries, Malawi (93:1) had the highest total PTR for primary education, followed by the Central African Republic (90:1), Rwanda (68:1), Mozambique (64:1), Burundi (54:1), Congo (52:1), Tanzania (52:1) and Mali (51:1). In East Asia and the Pacific, the primary PTR was also high in Cambodia at 49:1.
The UIS data release includes new figures for the year 2008 on primary education for some 70 countries. The update includes secondary and tertiary education data for 57 countries and 34 countries respectively. In addition, 2008 education finance data are available for 34 countries. The UIS Data Centre provides the timeliest education data available. Further 2008 data for more countries will be available in subsequent releases in January or May 2010.
In this release, indicators are calculated based on the 2008 revision of population data estimates compiled by the United Nations Population Division. These estimates are released every two years, and UIS data are systematically revised accordingly. To better compare trends over time, revisions were also applied to all previous education data.
UIS education statistics are updated and released three times a year – in January, May and October. Subscribe to the UIS email alert service to stay informed of these updates. To consult these statistics, use the “custom tables” option in the UIS Data Centre. Then follow these three simple steps to build a statistical table for the newly released 2008 data:
-> select countries in the “Country” box
-> select data items in the “Data” field
-> select “2008” in the ‘Years’ field and click “Generate table”