This year marks the 12th year we have celebrated World Teachers’ Day with the theme ‘Quality Teachers for Quality Education” guiding activities.
But the idea of having a special day to mark the enormous contributions of teachers everywhere is much older than that.
The idea is at least 40 years old and it is articulated in the now famous document that essentially serves as a charter of rights and responsibilities for the teaching profession worldwide.
On October 5 1966, a Special Intergovernmental Conference adopted the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco)/International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers. For the first time ever, teachers throughout the world had an instrument that defined their responsibilities and asserted their rights as professionals and as workers.
In adopting the recommendation, governments unanimously recognised the fundamental importance for every society of having highly qualified teachers who are equipped to do their best for the next generation. The recommendation is so significant that the anniversary of its signing became the date chosen for World Teachers’ Day.
At Education International’s Constituent Congress held in Stockholm in 1993, Federico Mayor, then director general of Unesco, announced the official designation of October 5 as World Teachers’ Day. The day was first celebrated in 1994.
Although governments the world over claim to support the values and principles in the recommendation, many do not actually demonstrate respect for teachers’ rights enshrined in it, nor do they implement policies that comply with it.
For this reason, it is important that the ILO/Unesco Committee of Experts (CEART) still exists to monitor compliance with the recommendation and still rules on violations of teachers’ rights.
In some parts of the world teachers make good salaries and are respected for their professionalism. They can count on reasonable classroom conditions and adequate learning resources. Unfortunately, these are the lucky few. The great majority of the world’s teachers still struggle to do the best for children despite inadequate training, poor salaries, unmanageable class sizes, shortage of basic supplies, lack of government support for education or even official repression of teachers and their unions.
Education International (EI) believes that government compliance with the recommendation ought to be mandatory under international law. The world has a long way to go before that will become a reality, but EI continues to monitor compliance and to advocate for the important provisions enshrined in this landmark document.
On October 5, EI hosted a series of events in Brussels and released a major report to the CEART, with updates on the extent to which governments throughout the world are complying with the provisions of the recommendation.
At the same time, in communities around the world, students, parents and teachers held their own events to celebrate the vital role of teachers in nurturing the next generation and in creating strong public schools, which are so fundamental to democratic societies. — Information provided by Education International
For more information, please go to: www.ei-ie.org