Isced-t 2021 unesco

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 ISCED-T 2021
FOREWORD
Teachers are generally considered the single most influential variable in an education system 
for achieving quality learning outcomes. Therefore, reaching the global education goal and 
targets will greatly depend on teachers that are empowered, adequately recruited, well-trained, 
professionally qualified, and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed 
systems.
Initial and continuing professional development for teachers is key to the professionalisation of 
the teacher workforce. However, the differences between national teacher training programmes 
make it difficult to compare countries and to monitor progress towards national and 
international goals, in particular to monitor Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 4.c: 
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international 
cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries 
and small island developing States. 
The International Standard Classification of Teacher Training Programmes (ISCED-T) has been 
developed to offer a solution, through the definition of internationally agreed categories which 
will support the production of cross-nationally comparable statistics on teacher training. Its 
creation was endorsed during the 40th session of the UNESCO General Conference in 2019.
The preparation of ISCED-T was guided by a global Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), comprised 
of experts in classifications and those specialised in teachers’ education and qualifications 
statistics. The Panel included relevant international organisations and partners, such as 
representatives of the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030, Eurostat, the 
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations 
Statistics Division. It was also guided by an extensive review process, including a series of formal 
consultations of Member States, UNESCO Category 1 Institutes and relevant Category 2 Centres 
which was coordinated by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the UNESCO Division for 
Policies and Lifelong Learning Systems (Education Sector). 
The ambition is that the application of ISCED-T will lead to more reliable and comparable 
statistics on teacher training programmes, which in turn will support the monitoring of global 
goals and targets and ultimately increase the provision of quality and equitable education for all.