One of our overseas friends started as a primary school teacher when she f graduated from HS. We used to produce thousands of well educated teachers from are Normal colleges. What happened? Do you really need a masters to be a good teacher?
No. But you do need a masters to make good money.
Universal compulsory diverse education through age 18 happened.
The purpose of a masters degree is to increase salary.
The educational funding is to benefit educators, not students. Students are cannon fodder for educator guns