No One Wants to Teach: A Review of Why Teachers are Leaving the Profession

Abstract

Many countries are facing a growing teacher shortage. The problem is not only that fewer people want to enter teacher education programs, but also that many current teachers are leaving the profession early. This article reviews recent literature from 2015 to 2026 to examine why teachers are leaving their careers. Using a qualitative literature-review method, the article analyzes evidence from peer-reviewed studies and major international organizations, including UNESCO, OECD, ERIC, and the Learning Policy Institute. The review finds that teacher attrition is not caused by one simple factor. Instead, teachers leave because of a combination of heavy workload, emotional exhaustion, low salary, low professional status, poor working conditions, weak leadership support, student discipline challenges, lack of autonomy, policy pressure, and limited career development. The article argues that teacher shortages should not be understood as a recruitment problem only. They are also a retention problem. If education systems want more people to become teachers and stay in teaching, they must improve the daily working conditions of teachers, not only advertise the profession more positively.