Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession: A panacea for reversing early-career attrition?

Bih (pseudonym) grew up in Alakoro, a small community, where chronic teacher shortages repeatedly disrupted her education. To mitigate this challenge in schools, head teachers often recruited unqualified community members to fill gaps.  These recruits, though well-intentioned, lacked subject knowledge and pedagogical skills, which meant that lessons were often inconsistent and ineffective, resulting in weak foundational skills, low academic achievement and reduced competitiveness in national examinations. This, in turn, limited opportunities to access higher education for Bih and her classmates, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. 

Bih՚s low grades in primary and secondary school made it challenging for her to attain her full potential. She struggled to gain admission to the University of Buea and, because of her poor academic record, she could not pursue her dream course. 

The cycle Bih experienced as a child continues today as early-career attrition remains on the rise – from 4.62% in 2015 to 9.06% in 2022 (UNESCO, 2024) – further shrinking the already limited pool of qualified teachers and leaving learners to pay the highest price as they either go for months or years without subject specialists or are taught by underprepared and demotivated teachers, leading to weaker academic outcomes and limited future opportunities.

As teachers celebrate World Teachers՚ Day 2025, the burning question is can recasting teaching as a collaborative profession help curb early-career attrition?

Reference

UNESCO՚s 2024 global report on teachers

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