Ensuring that all students have access to a qualified teacher is a universal struggle. In sub-Saharan Africa, teacher attrition has become a subject of regional concern and schools are facing an alarming phenomenon. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) indicates that teachers are leaving schools at a shocking rate. In this paper, we argue that teacher attrition, as a subsystem, has negative implications on the quality of teaching and schooling; and that it is also a hurdle in the achievement of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Education For All (EFA) policy goals and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Drawing on the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, literature on attrition and Kurt Lewin's open systems theory, this paper will (1) explore the emerging global trends and challenges in teacher attrition; (2) critically analyse the trends and challenges in teacher attrition; (3) investigate why teachers leave; (4) reflect on how teacher attrition impacts on the quality of teaching and learning; and (5) argue that teacher attrition is a hurdle in the achievement of UPE, MDGs and EFA policy goals.

Keyword: Teacher attrition, systems theory, teacher retention and attraction policy, UPE, MDGs and EFA

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