World Teachers’ Day is observed every year on 5th October, commemorating the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The recommendation benchmarks the rights and responsibilities of teachers, standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. Every year UNESCO frames a theme for the betterment of the teaching fraternity. In light of the present global shortage of teachers, the organization has set this year’s World Teachers’ Day theme as – “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage”.
The theme conveys this year’s aim to find solutions to restrict the decline of teachers and increase the number significantly by resolving issues of retention and providing educators with the right motivation. Teachers around the world need to be heard and their rights need to be valued. They need to be recognized and applauded for all their contributions. Different organizations have been incessantly trying their best to recognize the potential of exceptional educators. Be it the UNESCO-Hamdard Prize for Teacher Development, the Global Teacher Prize, the African Union Continental Teacher Prize, the European Innovative Teaching Award, the Malaysia Teacher Prize, or the National Teacher Award (India); there is now a growing awareness in recognizing the gems in education!
While interviewing Amrita Vohra, Director (Education), GEMS Education, India, she had mentioned how shortage of teachers stemmed from a crisis in status. Only by retaining the luminous status of the profession can we retain our teachers too! On October 5, UNESCO will be hosting a conference deliberating on the theme – Recognition and Appreciation: The Role of Teacher Prizes in Enhancing the Status of the Profession. Several delegates, educationists, and policymakers will be attending the event to discuss and debate the shortcomings in the teaching profession and together devise fruitful solutions.
Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the future of individuals and societies. They are the guiding lights who impart knowledge, instill values, and nurture the potential within students. Whether in a traditional classroom or through virtual platforms, teachers show remarkable resilience and adaptability. On this World Teachers Day let us all promise to pay our due respect to our teachers. Let us bring back the glory of being an educator! Let us make this world a better place for educators as they have done the same for us! A small token or message of gratitude goes a long way. Let us all celebrate the unsung heroes who have definitely shaped futures!
