We would love to hear what everyone is doing for World Teacher’s Day, send in your stories for a chance to win a prize for the best teachers tales to us!*
So how did World Teacher’s Day transpire?
World Teachers’ Day, held annually on October 5 since 1994, commemorates teacher organisations worldwide. Its aim is to mobilise support for teachers and to ensure that the needs of future generations will continue to be met by teachers.
According to UNESCO, World Teachers’ Day represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding, and appreciation displayed for the vital contributions that teachers make to education and development.
Education International (EI) (the global union federation which represents education professionals worldwide) strongly believes that World Teachers’ Day should be internationally recognised and celebrated around the world. EI also believes that the principles of the 1966 and 1997 Recommendations should be considered for implementation in all nations.
Over 100 countries observe World Teachers’ Day. The efforts of Education International and its 401 member organizations have contributed to this widely spread recognition. Every year, EI launches a public awareness campaign to highlight the contributions of the teaching profession.
World Teachers’ Day, why 5 October?
UNESCO proclaimed 5 October to be World Teachers’ Day in 1994, celebrating the great step made for teachers on 5 October 1966, when a special intergovernmental conference convened by UNESCO in Paris adopted the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, in cooperation with the ILO.
5 October also celebrates the adoption by the UNESCO General Conference in 1997 of the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel.
Why a day for teachers?
World Teachers’ Day held annually on 5 October, is a UNESCO initiative, a day devoted to appreciating, assessing, and improving the educators of the world. The real point is to provide a time to look at and address issues pertaining to teachers. Strangely one of the most central, vital professionals to society does not receive the respect it deserves in some parts of the world.
WTD is a natural extension of UNESCO’s all year round work of promoting teachers, ensuring that this profession, so vital to the healthy functioning of society, is itself “healthy”. Teachers are a normative indicator of social health.
Why an international day, doesn’t each country have very specific issues?
Teachers are producing global citizens, so they are global teachers, who need to situate their advances on a global level. WTD is an opportunity to rethink national issues facing teachers from an international perspective, to benchmark progress made by national teachers in a global context. UNESCO provides the best global context to address and exchange ideas across borders.
Here at ePayMe, we recognise the work of our teachers in the UK and appreciate their hard work each and every day. Thank you to all the teachers in the world today and have fun celebrating your day!
Source: UNESCO
*T’c & C’s apply