World Teachers' Day is celebrated on 5 October. It is the date on which Unesco and the International Labour Organization decided to pay tribute to one of the most valuable professions in any society: teaching, teachers. Those people who have the duty and the passion to educate future generations and thus ensure the development of countries.
Why is World Teachers' Day celebrated on 5 October?
The date was chosen because on the same day, but in 1966, a Special Intergovernmental Conference on the Status of Teachers was held to discuss the duties, but above all the rights, of the teaching profession worldwide.
Since then, the work of teachers has become increasingly important. So much so that among the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, education plays a fundamental role and therefore it is projected that, in the future, there will be a need for more professionals in this discipline.
The problem of teaching
The teaching profession is one of the most depressed globally, with almost every teacher in the world undervalued and earning barely enough to live on.
Others find it too restrictive to innovate or challenge their students.
This reality is what prevents new generations of future professionals from taking a genuine interest in the field of teaching and is what Unesco, together with other organisations such as UNICEF, UNDP, the International Labour Organisation and Education International, is seeking to change.
The education sector is one of the most important sectors for the development, independence and sustainability of nations and, therefore, the personnel working in it should be among the best paid, best trained and most relevant within the programmes of each State.
How to celebrate World Teachers' Day?
You could start by sending a message to those teachers who marked your life and left a bit of themselves in your current personality.
You could also attend a talk or conference where the work of teachers is discussed or join a plan to help improve the working conditions and/or salaries of teachers.
Finally, you always have the option of sharing a thoughtful message on social media using the hashtag #WorldTeachersDay
