(AI image used) Across ten states, schools are struggling with significant teacher shortages in vital areas such as math and science
These are some of the findings from the executive summary of the biennial report on the ‘State of Teachers, Teaching and Teacher Education for India’ (SoTTTER) 2025 by TISS Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education (CETE) released on Teachers’ Day. The SoTTTER 2025 focuses on three landmark policies that reached key implementation milestones in 2025 – 15 years of the Right To Education Act (2009), 10 years of the Rights of People with Disabilities Act (2016), and five years of the National Education Policy (2020). Comparing the data from the SoTTTER 2023, the report highlighted a critical aspect of the student enrollment falling sharply by 1.55 crore in five years – from 26.5 crores in 2021-22 to 23.2 crores in 2024-25. Women now make up 54% of the teaching workforce, up from 51% in the previous report. However, a clear urban-rural gap remains – women comprise 67% of urban teachers, while rural schools remain male-dominated, with women accounting for only 47%.
With no guarantee of securing a job, this uncertainty can significantly demotivate young aspirants,” she said. At the same time, the teaching workforce grew by six lakh, thereby improving the average student-teacher ratio. The report also highlighted ‘an accelerated privatisation and feminisation of the teaching force’. Prof Padma M Sarangapani, former chairperson of CETE, currently Dean of IMSE, Mahindra University, and principal investigator of the study, noted that while many aspiring teachers are genuinely motivated to enter the profession, the lack of job security and employment opportunities acts as a disincentive. Nearly half of the teachers surveyed also felt that the profession is misunderstood and that their work is not sufficiently valued or appreciated. “Another major concern is the delayed recruitment process, which can sometimes take seven to eight years. The report also gives recommendations for resolving the persistent teacher shortages.
Upcoming Report on Indian Teaching Workforce
A report examining the structural and pedagogical changes within the Indian teaching workforce is set to be released in October this year. This report is a collaboration with the Language and Learning Foundation, providing insights into current trends and challenges in education.