World Teachers Day - October 5

➡️ WORLD TEACHERS' DAY, October 5 - Celebrating the Role Teachers Play in Society

World Teachers' Day is a poignant reminder of the vital role educators play in shaping society. Organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and Education International (EI), it commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.

The recommendation marks the first time that the rights and responsibilities of teachers, as well as the standards for their training, recruitment, employment, and working conditions, were laid out as guidelines to promote the status of teachers.

It also serves as a day to honour the dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment of teachers who hold the heavy responsibility of inspiring and nurturing the minds of future generations.

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Without great teachers, achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 is simply impossible.

'If you look behind every exceptional person, there is an exceptional teacher' - Stephen Hawking

Jump straight to our resources on ➡️ World Teachers' Day

Explore our comprehensive guides on -

• Education Guide including information for Teachers, Schools & Universities

• Exemplary People in Education

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• Education in the Developing World

• Girls Education

• Artificial Intelligence in Schools

• Literacy & Adult Education

• Peace, Human Rights & Civic Education

• Environmental & Climate Education

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The Teaching Profession in Crisis

Despite the recognised importance of teachers to our societies, around the globe, teachers are struggling with low pay, high workload, poor work conditions, and a lack of voice in educational decision-making, which is undermining teacher recruitment and retention.

• The human right to education cannot be realised without trained and qualified teachers, yet there is a global shortage of 50 million teachers.

• Sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected region, with an estimated need for 15 million new teachers by 2030.

• An estimated 70% of countries face teacher shortages at primary school level and 90% of countries at secondary level.

• In order to meet SDG4, the financing of additional teachers needed to cover new primary and secondary teaching posts' salaries by 2030 is $120 billion annually.

• Teachers are leaving the profession at more than twice the rate as 5 years ago, especially in secondary education. At least 30% of those who resigned had been teaching for less than five years.

• Half of all countries pay teachers less than other professions which require similar levels of qualifications.

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2025 Theme - Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession

In light of the much-needed investment into the teaching profession, days like World Teachers' Day are essential in raising awareness and pushing for change. This year's theme focuses on the isolation that many teachers face and aims to improve the connectivity between education systems, schools, and societies.

Collaborative structures support teacher pedagogy, agency, professionalism, and well-being. There is a great need to transform fragmented structures into connected networks to enhance educational quality and improve teacher retention.

This year's official celebration will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A panel at the Pan-African Conference on Teacher Education will examine how increased collaboration can be leveraged to enhance teacher voice, professional identity, and educational outcomes.

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This year's World Teachers Day is our opportunity to acknowledge their profound impact and advocate for the support and resources they need to continue their invaluable work.

'Invest in our teachers, and our children will succeed' - Barack Obama

Author: Rachael Mellor, 26.09.25 licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

For further reading on World Teachers' Day see below ⬇️