Brazil faces teacher shortage as temporary staff rise

A study by Instituto Semesp reveals a significant shift in the Brazilian public high school teaching workforce between 2015 and 2025. The number of temporary teachers grew by 40.4%, rising from 146,000 to 205,000, while the number of permanent, tenured, or stable teachers fell from approximately 305,000 to 255,000.

The data highlights a growing demographic crisis within the profession. Interest among young people in teaching careers has declined, with the number of teachers aged 24 or younger dropping by 31.1% to 11,900. Conversely, the number of teachers aged 60 or older increased by 104.5%, reaching 37,300. This shift has altered the ratio of young teachers to those nearing retirement from nearly 1:1 in 2015 to approximately 1:3 in 2025.

Semesp President Lúcia Teixeira noted that the capacity to renew the teaching staff is deteriorating due to the reliance on temporary contracts and the aging workforce. Projections suggest that by 2040, the teacher renewal rate could drop significantly, potentially leading to a deficit of approximately 235,000 teachers in basic education.