Teacher Quality and Supply
The continuing adequacy, training, retention, and deployment of qualified teachers. Its strongest welfare pathway: it weakens Learning Poverty Rate (low- and middle-income countries), a better welfare reading. The most recent of its 13 recorded facts is “Executive order directs Education Secretary to begin dismantling the US Department of Education (2025)” (20 March 2025).
Read the full background
The continuing adequacy, training, retention, and deployment of qualified teachers. Teacher shortages (e.g. India's documented ~508,000-teacher shortfall under the RTE Act) and uneven quality directly shape foundational learning outcomes.
What it changes
Indicators this driver moves, strongest relation first. Relation strength is separate from the observed state.
Weakens · 70% impact strength
Observed
70% of 10-year-olds · 70 above the normal line (2022)
Worse than normalTwo readings: 57% of 10-year-olds (2019) and 70% of 10-year-olds (2022).
20192022 Above normal = worse · Lag ~49 mo · Relation verified
Strengthens · 70% impact strength
Observed
472 PISA score points · 28 below the normal line (2022)
Worse than normal7 readings, 2003–2022: fell from 499 PISA score points to 472 PISA score points.
Above normal = better · Lag ~61 mo · Relation verified
Strengthens · 40% impact strength
Observed
84% of one-year-olds · 11 below the normal line (Dec 2024)
Worse than normal7 readings, 2018–2024: fell from 86.4% of one-year-olds to 84% of one-year-olds.
Above normal = better · Lag ~12 mo · Relation verified
Weakens · 30% impact strength
Observed
11% of primary-school-age children · 11 above the normal line (2023)
Worse than normalAbove normal = worse · Lag ~24 mo · Relation verified
Key facts moving this driver
Ranked by impact weight, then verification, then recency.
- Finland establishes the comprehensive school (peruskoulu) system1 January 1970 · Strengthening · impact weight 0.7
- Luther publishes the Small Catechism1 January 1529 · Initiating · impact weight 0.5
- Microsoft and Khan Academy make Khanmigo for Teachers free to all US K-12 teachers (2024)21 May 2024 · Strengthening · impact weight 0.45
- US Education Secretary launches 'Raise the Bar' academic-recovery agenda (2023)24 January 2023 · Strengthening · impact weight 0.45
Accountability & contradictions
A view of the graph: opposing facts, the actors behind them, and what is disputed.
What strengthened it
What weakened it
Driver over time
The dated facts recorded on this driver, oldest first.
1 January 1529 · Initiating
Luther publishes the Small Catechism1 April 1529 · Strengthening
Luther publishes the Large Catechism25 July 1603 · Strengthening
The first quarto of Hamlet is printed1 January 1604 · Strengthening
The second quarto of Hamlet is printed in 1604/51 January 1970 · Strengthening
Finland establishes the comprehensive school (peruskoulu) system26 August 2009 · Strengthening
India enacts the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009)1 April 2020 · Weakening
COVID-19 school closures disrupt education for ~1.6 billion learners (2020)24 January 2023 · Strengthening
US Education Secretary launches 'Raise the Bar' academic-recovery agenda (2023)21 May 2024 · Strengthening
Microsoft and Khan Academy make Khanmigo for Teachers free to all US K-12 teachers (2024)19 July 2024 · Strengthening
England launches an independent curriculum and assessment review led by Becky Francis (2024)
Causal path
Facts move the driver; the driver moves indicators. Open the full network to inspect each link.
- Facts13 recorded
- moveDriverTeacher Quality and Supply
- weakensIndicators (4)Learning Poverty Rate (low- and middle-income countries)
Evidence
Review status of the facts behind this driver.
Documented Oct 1512 – Mar 2025
How Factrail grades evidenceBy the Factrail desk · Method: how we source and score · Last reviewed · Sources: 11
Questions
Who is responsible for Teacher Quality and Supply?
Factrail's graph links Martin Luther, William Shakespeare, and Bridget Phillipson to Teacher Quality and Supply through sourced facts.
When did Teacher Quality and Supply start?
19 October 1512: Luther proceeds to the Wittenberg doctorate in theology.
How does Teacher Quality and Supply affect people?
It is linked to PISA Mathematics Performance (OECD average), Learning Poverty Rate (low- and middle-income countries), First-dose measles vaccination coverage (global, MCV1), and Out-of-School Rate, Primary School Age (global) in Factrail's graph.