2 Types of Teachers
In underdeveloped and developing countries across Africa, Latin America, and Asia, the teaching workforce is highly heterogeneous and often categorized into distinct types based on employment status, training, and formal education.
The main categories typically include:
| Type | Typical formal education | Training | Employment status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil service / regular teachers | Secondary diploma + teaching degree/diploma (2–4 years tertiary) | Full pre-service teacher education; often accredited | Permanent, government-employed |
| Contract teachers | Varies: secondary to tertiary; sometimes same as regular teachers | Varies: could be same as regular teachers but often also short pre-service (3 months–1 year) or none; in-service training | Fixed-term, often lower salary; often used to address teacher shortages |
| Community / volunteer teachers | Primary or lower secondary completion (sometimes only end of primary) | Very short pedagogical training (days to weeks) or none | Hired by community/NGO, often unpaid or stipend |
| Paraprofessional / para-teachers | Lower secondary or secondary | Brief induction (weeks to months) | Locally hired, often in remote areas; often locally recruited to increase access to education where qualified teachers are unavailable. |
| Private school teachers | Highly variable: from unqualified to university-educated | Often less regulated; may have no formal training | Private employment, wide salary range |
Sources
https://www.iicba.unesco.org/en/different-kind-teacher
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775723000845
Related: Learner Ecosystem · The Emerging Educator · Teacher Task Force · UNESCO IICBA · Luminos Fund Community Teachers · UK Government Contract Teachers Research · ScienceDirect Teacher Hiring Research