World Teachers’ Day being observed today

ISLAMABAD: World Teachers’ Day is being observed throughout Pakistan and the world to pay tribute to teachers and educators as they play a pivotal role in character and nation-building.

The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2020 is “Teachers: Leading in Crisis, Re-imagining the Future”. This time the celebration will be held virtually stretched over a week from 5-12th October.

World Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year since 1994 commemorating the anniversary of the adoption of 1966 International Labour Organisation and UNSECO recommendations concerning the status of teachers.

This sets the benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, teaching and learning conditions.

World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with UNICEF, ILO and Education International. The Director-Generals of the three organisations had released a joint statement on the occasion.

“In this crisis, teachers have shown, as they have done so often, great leadership and innovation in ensuring that #LearningNeverStops, that no learner is left behind. Around the world, they have worked individually and collectively to find solutions and create new learning environments for their students to allow education to continue. Their role advising on school reopening plans and supporting students with the return to school is just as important,” said the statement.

The day provides the occasion to celebrate the teaching profession worldwide, take stock of achievements, and draw attention to the voices of teachers, who are at the heart of efforts to attain the global education target of leaving no one behind.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by the education systems throughout the world. “It is no exaggeration to say that the world is at a crossroads and, now more than ever, we must work with teachers to protect the right to education and guide it into the unfolding landscape brought about by the pandemic,” said a statement by UNESCO.