At age six, a child who says she wants to be a teacher usually brings a smile to her family’s faces. At seventeen, when she announces that she plans to pursue a teaching degree, she might hear a very different question: “But are you sure?” What happened between those two moments?

Perhaps the child has discovered, throughout his or her own school years, how Brazil treats those who dedicate their lives to teaching. Data from the Semesp Institute help shed light on this change. Between 2015 and 2025, the number of high school teachers aged 24 or younger fell by 31.1%, while the number of teachers aged 60 or older rose by 104.5%. The decline also affected teachers aged 25 to 29 and 30 to 39.

The so-called Faculty Renewal Rate, which compares the numbers of younger and older faculty members, could reach 0.17 by 2040: one faculty member aged 24 or younger for every six aged 60 or older. The experience of veteran faculty members is an asset we must preserve. But who will be there alongside them to learn, exchange experiences, and carry on this work?

The problem goes beyond simply filling vacancies. When a profession stops attracting new aspirations, it begins to age even before its practitioners do. And the risk of a teacher shortage arises precisely there—in that quiet moment when teaching ceases to be a desirable future.

It would be convenient to attribute this lack of interest to a generation that is supposedly less committed, but young people are observing reality with a clarity that we should respect. Brazilian high school teachers earn, on average, about 80% of the salary of other workers with a college degree. In the public school system, the proportion of teachers on temporary contracts rose from 32.2% to 43.4% in ten years.

It is difficult to build a life amid the uncertainty of a contract that may end in December. Added to this are the workload, the violence, the health issues, and the feeling that society demands everything from teachers while offering them insufficient protection. There are also challenges related to teacher training: in 2023, more than 80% of new students entering teacher-training programs opted for distance learning—an important modality for expanding access, but one that must ensure consistent practical experiences, contact with the school environment, and guidance from experienced professionals.

After all, learning to teach involves much more than just mastering the subject matter. It requires figuring out how to welcome a child who arrives feeling sad, recognizing the struggle hidden in a student’s silence, and finding ways forward when an entire class seems to have given up on learning.

These skills are developed through interaction, guided practice, and shared reflection. A calling may lead someone to the school’s doorstep, but it is the working conditions that enable them to stay.

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And when students witness their teachers’ humiliation, exhaustion, and insecurity, they learn a hard lesson: the teaching profession is valued very little in our society .

We can still change this story, but we’ll need policies that support teachers throughout their entire careers. The “Pé-de-Meia Licenciaturas” program represents an important invitation to new generations. This invitation must be accompanied—throughout their training and as they begin their careers—by competitive salaries, regular civil service exams, stimulating careers, and safe schools.

We need paid teacher residency and mentoring programs during the early years of a teacher’s career, with experienced, recognized teachers who are also compensated for training new colleagues. We also need to provide high-quality training for school principals so they can foster environments of trust, collaboration, and professional development, while offering greater support to schools facing particularly difficult conditions.

It is also necessary to make innovation an ally of this project. Artificial intelligence can reduce the burden of bureaucracy, support planning, and free up educators’ time for what no machine can do for them: the human connection that gives meaning to learning.

Teachers must be able to exercise their autonomy, deepen their knowledge, and play a greater role in their students’ lives. This task involves a collective responsibility that includes governments, universities, administrators, families, and society.

A country that entrusts teachers with the mission of preparing future generations must ensure that they have what they need. Perhaps, then, we can return to that family conversation in which a young woman announces that she wants to be a teacher, and fear gives way to joy. What do we need to change now so that the question “Are you sure?” gives way to another, much more beautiful one: “How can we support you?”

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