Asia Education Roundtable in Bali Addresses Global Teacher Shortages and Critical Challenges

By: David Harding

From September 9–13, 2024, the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) hosted the Asia Roundtable in Bali, Indonesia. This prestigious gathering brought together 55 leaders from higher education institutions, national Christian school associations, and leading schools from across 10 countries, including Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States.

Dr. Gavin Brettenny, ACSI's Chief Strategy Officer, highlighted the event’s significance, stating, “The Asia Roundtable served as a powerful platform for education leaders to not only identify challenges but to propose practical solutions for ensuring a robust and sustainable teaching workforce in the years to come.”

The primary focus of the roundtable was to address the growing challenge of teacher shortages, a critical issue affecting education systems worldwide. Over the course of three days, participants engaged in discussions and collaborative workshops centered on three key questions: 

1. How can access to the teacher pipeline be increased? 

2. How can teacher credentialing be streamlined? 

3. How can teacher retention be improved? 

The Roundtable employed a distinctive format that combined plenary presentations and roundtables along with smaller breakout roundtable sessions. This structure facilitated a dynamic exchange of ideas, fostering collaboration among leaders from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds. 

Peter Lee, ACSI’s National Executive Director of South Korea, praised the event, stating, “It was an engaging, collaborative, and intentional time to address the alarming global crisis of teacher shortages. We all left there with purpose and hope, knowing better how to pray and minister in our respective settings.” 

At the event’s conclusion, participants issued a statement of intent, reaffirming their collective commitment to addressing the teacher shortage crisis. One notable outcome was the collective agreement to launch a research project on teacher retention, led by ACSI. This project will involve contributions from participating organizations and will culminate in a comprehensive report, to be released before the next Asia Roundtable in 2027.

Dr. Debbie MacCullough, ACSI’s Director of Core Global Standards, summed up the event’s success, saying, “The three days were an excellent interaction time concerning tangible steps to help improve teacher preparation and quality. I am excited to see how access to new teachers and the retention of good teachers is impacted over the following years.”