ABSTRACT
Globally there is an almost insatiable demand for teachers. The needs in the schooling sector have been well recorded. Successive Global Monitoring Reports from UNESCO, the World Bank and other international organisations point up the shortfalls and the large number of para-professionals recruited to make up the shortfalls in qualified teachers. The figures supplied from national offices are not always reliable or up to date but the trends are clear. The expansion of school systems in low income countries is going to continue unabated for the foreseeable future. The basic education sector, despite much progress, still has some way to go in achieving Education for All and meeting the Millennium Development Goals. Population growth will also play a role in expanding provision at this level. The growth in basic education and the wider economic context is fuelling demand for secondary and higher education. There is also a significant interest in expanding pre-school education. All emergent economies are seeking to expand vocational education and training.
