World Teachers' Day
Taking place on 5th October every year.
Celebrating teachers worldwide.
About the event
Celebrated since 1994, World Teacher Day commemorates a UN resolution in 1966 that established benchmarks for the rights and responsibilities of teachers. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to an education and for this right to be realised teachers are essential. This is a day to celebrate the unique and vital role of teachers, in every country and continent of the world.
How to approach it
Students will obviously be familiar with the role of teachers, but it can be useful to put into perspective the significance of the role for wider society and the world. You can do this by beginning with the importance of education. Ask: what benefits does going to school have? In what places do we learn and are taught? Examples are nursery, primary school, secondary school, colleges, trade schools, universities and sports centres. Show your students that in order to progress with anything there are teachers throughout society there to help you. Ask students: what would a world without education and teachers look like?
From this enter into a discussion about how teachers are important for development. Without teachers and decent education, populations don’t have access to the necessary skills for full participation in civil life and access to higher paid jobs. Across the world, enrolment in primary schools is rising rapidly, as a result of population growth and the expansion of education for all. However, the quality of education is being compromised in many countries as they can't get enough teachers into classrooms.This global teacher shortage is a setback for all development efforts.
Conversation starter
What makes someone a good teacher? Is it their skills, knowledge, personality or something else? How do teachers make the world a better place?
