World Teacher’s Day
World Teacher’s Day or International Teacher’s Day was inaugurated on the 5th October 1994 by the United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to commemorate the 1966 joint signing of the UNESCO/ILO (International Labour Organisation) recommendation concerning the status of Teachers.
World Teacher’s Day is merged in a partnership with UNICEF, UNDP, International Labour Organisation, and Education International. The first teacher’s day was held on 5th October 1966, the special Intergovernmental Conference was been convened in Paris, France regarding the status of Teachers to analyze the issues affecting the teachers and their profession.
Celebrated in over 100 countries, World Teachers Day acknowledges the efforts of teachers in an increasingly complex, multicultural, and technological society and the vital contribution they make to education and development across the globe. It is a day on which students, parents, and community members can demonstrate their appreciation for the contributions that teachers have made to their community.
Internationally, World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on the first Friday of October 5th by many countries. More than 100 countries celebrate World Teacher’s Day and each of the countries has its own date and kind of celebration.
World Teacher’s Day Celebration in 2024
The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2024 is “Valuing Teachers‘ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education“. It commemorates the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and serves as a reminder that the right to education cannot be realized without trained and qualified teachers.
The day provides the occasion to celebrate the teaching profession worldwide, to take stock of achievements, and to address some of the issues central to attracting and keeping the brightest minds and young talents in the profession.
Teacher’s Day in India is celebrated on September 5th, to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was a renowned Indian philosopher and statesman. While some celebrate teacher’s day on Guru Purnima which is traditionally observed as a day to venerate teachers. Where guru means an “expert at something”, and it actually means “teacher” in Sanskrit and Purnima means “Full Moon”.
In the United States of America, Teacher Appreciation Week is held on the first full week of May and the Tuesday of that week is National Teacher Day, “a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives”. While countries like the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Russia, and Canada celebrate teachers’ day on October 5th.
Since education is so important to advance and bright future, let’s take a moment to celebrate this special day for our teachers.
