About World Teachers' Day
World Teachers' Day was inaugurated in 1994 to commemorate the signing of the UNESCO/ILO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation/International Labour Organisation) recommendation concerning the status of teachers on 5 October 1966. More than 100 countries celebrate World Teachers' Day on 5 October each year but because there are school holidays at around this time in Australia, we celebrate World Teachers' Day on the last Friday in October.
Following is a joint message by the UNESCO Director General, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, the Director General of ILO, Mr Juan Somavia, the UNDP Administrator Mr Kemal Derviş and the Executive Director UNICEF, Ms Ann M. Veneman:
"We of the United Nations join parents and communities around the world in recognising that quality teachers are critical for providing quality education. Through their daily work, teachers make a tremendous contribution to sustainable development by building its human foundation - developing a child's capacity and desire to learn. As we are all too aware, across the globe millions of children face many hardships, whether inadequate food, shelter or other basic physical and emotional needs. Many still face towering odds in acquiring a basic education. On World Teachers' Day, we are also reminded of the challenge for teachers of imparting a good education to pupils based on high learning standards, and of making schools a welcoming, encouraging, and inclusive place in which all are treated with dignity and every child has the opportunity to reach his or her full potential. Unfortunately, many of the world's more than 60 million teachers, with over a billion children in their care, teach in very difficult circumstance
s. The majority work in developing countries, many in communities where there is an urgent need to improve teaching and learning conditions, to retain skilled teachers and to attract good candidates to become teachers. In every community, teachers - like parents and children - need to have their voice heard. Therefore, on this day, we urge that the voice of teachers be heard in shaping the education decisions which they themselves have to carry out. Today is an opportunity to celebrate teachers. The best celebration is the practical one where we show, 365 days a year, our appreciation and understanding of the noble and complex work teachers do by working for the best possible teaching and learning conditions. And we can also decide to make today the day that each one of us says 'Thank you' to at least one teacher."
Click here to read the 2009 UN joint message for World Teachers' Day