Why We Need More Teachers at the Policy Table

In the complex architecture of education systems, the gap between policy and practice remains one of the most persistent and under-addressed structural challenges. While policymakers design reforms intended to improve student outcomes, increase equity, and modernize learning, the individuals most intimately acquainted with the inner workings of classrooms — teachers — are often relegated to the margins of these decisions.

This exclusion is neither incidental nor benign. The sidelining of teacher voices in education policymaking contributes to a reform pattern that is misaligned with on-the-ground realities, undermining both implementation and impact. A growing body of global research underscores this tension: policies that fail to incorporate teachers’ insights frequently suffer from low uptake, limited sustainability, and unintended negative consequences on teacher morale and student learning outcomes (OECD, 2018).

The Current Landscape: A Disconnect Between Decision-Making and Practice

Policy is often shaped by data, economics, and political priorities — all essential lenses. However, without the experiential knowledge of educators, such policy can become abstract, disconnected from the classroom’s material and human conditions. This disconnect manifests in several ways: curriculum reforms introduced without adequate teacher training, assessment models designed without considering classroom diversity, or professional development programs developed in a vacuum.

The dominant policy architecture privileges top-down mechanisms — ministry directives, donor frameworks, legislative mandates — that position teachers primarily as implementers, not designers. Consultation processes, where they occur, tend to be symbolic rather than substantive. A handful of educators might be invited to review draft documents or attend forums, but rarely are they empowered to shape the discourse or co-author the direction of national education strategy.

What Happens When Teachers Are Absent from Policy Conversations?

The consequences of teacher exclusion are well-documented. Teacher burnout, professional disillusionment, and growing resistance to reform can often be traced back to a lack of ownership in the change process. Reforms that ignore the practical realities of instructional time, classroom composition, school culture, and teacher agency rarely succeed in the long term.

Moreover, when policy frameworks treat teachers as policy subjects rather than policy actors, it signals a troubling devaluation of professional expertise. In contrast to professions like medicine or law — where practitioners shape protocols and ethical standards — teaching remains one of the few highly skilled professions where system-level policy is routinely made without practitioner leadership.

Global Examples of Teacher-Inclusive Policy Models

Several high-performing education systems offer compelling counterpoints. In Finland, teachers are actively involved in curriculum development at both national and local levels, with a culture of trust and professional autonomy that anchors education reform. In Ontario, Canada, school boards have established formal mechanisms for teacher unions and classroom teachers to participate in systemic change efforts. Singapore integrates teacher leaders into policymaking through its Academy of Singapore Teachers and master teacher schemes, positioning experienced educators as knowledge brokers between policy and practice.

These systems demonstrate that teacher inclusion is not a concession — it is a prerequisite for policy coherence and long-term success. They also show that teacher voice can be structured, systematic, and scalable.

Rethinking the Role of the Teacher in Policy Discourse

To reimagine education policy for the 21st century, we must move beyond the notion of teachers as passive recipients of reform. Teachers are sense-makers, curriculum interpreters, and community connectors. They understand not just what works, but why it works, for whom, and under what conditions. Their knowledge is inherently contextual — and that is precisely what policy needs more of.

Inclusion must go beyond anecdotal representation. It requires institutional mechanisms that support teacher participation: policy fellowships, research-practice partnerships, teacher-led policy labs, and dedicated roles for educators within ministries of education. It also means investing in the professional development of teachers not only as pedagogues but as system thinkers capable of contributing to governance.

Toward a More Democratic and Effective Policy Future

Education systems face complex challenges: learning loss, inequality, rapid technological change, declining trust in public institutions. Solutions to these challenges cannot emerge from the top down alone. They must be co-constructed with those who live the realities of education every day.

Bringing more teachers to the policy table is not a panacea, but it is an essential shift in how we conceive of reform. It signals a move toward more democratic, grounded, and evidence-informed policy processes. It ensures that decisions are not only made for teachers, but with them — and in doing so, brings us closer to an education system that is both more equitable and more effective.

In the words of renowned educator Paulo Freire, “there is no such thing as neutral education.” Every policy decision is a choice about values, priorities, and power. The question is: whose voices are shaping those choices? It is time we ensure that teachers — the stewards of our most important social institution — have a seat at the table where those choices are made.

In your current education system or institution, how are teachers meaningfully involved in shaping policy — and what would change if their voices were not just heard, but truly valued as equal partners in decision-making? Let us know in the comments below.