Teachers play a critical role in delivering high-quality education and learning outcomes. Indeed, the quality of an education system cannot exceed that of its teachers (OECD, 2010). Target 4.c recognizes this fact by calling on countries to increase the supply of qualified teachers. East Asia and the Pacific does not have enough trained and qualified teachers, particularly in remote and impoverished areas where children are most in need of high quality education. Moreover, the gender distribution of teachers is uneven across the education system, in teaching and administration. While integrating Target 4.c into national education policies and sector plans, governments should develop specific strategies to ensure that teachers are trained, qualified and deployed in an equitable manner.
