Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has proposed that October be celebrated every year as “Teachers’ Month” to recognise the significant role teachers play in the upliftment and transformation of society.
This comes as teachers around the globe mark World Teachers’ Day on Tuesday to celebrate teachers’ vital role in social, economic and intellectual rebuilding. The event, held annually since 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the 1966 signing of the Unesco/International Labour Organisation Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers.
The theme internationally for this year’s event is “Recovery Begins with Teachers”, which Unesco says aims to raise awareness of the challenges faced by teachers in post-crisis situations.
In South Africa, teachers and learners are still trying to resume normal schooling following the three-week-long strike that saw classroom activity disrupted at a large number of state schools.
“Teachers’ Month comes at a time when we have launched Let’s Support the Class of 2010 Campaign. This is a time when all South Africans should work together to support not only our learners but our teachers as well,” said a statement released by Motshekga on Tuesday.
“As a society, we need to ensure that the goals we have set in our Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign are realised through making education a societal issue.”
“Across the world, all teachers who have made sacrifices, often under very trying circumstances and hardships, which ensure that their learners get quality education are recognised on this day.
“Their contributions to generations of learners should inspire all teachers to strive towards making a difference in their schools and to look forward to doing their work with pride, dedication and sense of duty that befits this noble profession,” read the statement.
Motshekga also expressed satisfaction that the provision of full service bursaries through the Funza Lushaka Bursary scheme has been successful in attracting young people to the profession in South Africa.
According to the latest figures from Unesco, 9,1-million teachers will have to be recruited across the globe over seven years to meet the Education For All goal of universal primary education by 2015.