World Teachers' Day on October 5 :

'Recognise contribution of teachers'

By Pramod DE SILVA

Several years ago, I was waiting for a train at London's Paddington Station when a bright yellow billboard caught my eye. The recruitment ad simply said "Those who can, Teach". It said it all in just four words - teachers are special and not everyone can be a teacher. The ability to teach is a gift.

Parents are our first teachers, but without the teachers who teach us in pre-school, school and university, we cannot become citizens useful to society. They deserve special treatment. It is precisely with this aim in mind that the United Nations has proclaimed a World Teachers Day, which falls on October 5 every year. The first Teachers Day was observed in 1994 under the auspices of UNESCO.

World Teachers' Day is an occasion not only to celebrate teachers and teaching, but also to draw attention to their status, employment conditions and the needs of countries where teacher recruitment is not keeping pace with increases in student enrolment.

There are 50 million teachers around the world. This is their day. But a day is not enough to pay tribute to them. One can never stop being grateful to teachers, the people who have shaped our lives. A teacher's work never ends, for a teacher can educate thousands of students over a decade-long career. Behind every successful man or woman is a good teacher.

One may think that teachers just teach various (textbook) subjects to their students, but their role is much more varied. They teach moral values and give advice on how students can become good citizens. Teachers are there whenever we need them most. In this light, the World Teachers' Day theme for this year is highly appropriate: 'Recovery Begins With Teachers.' Recovery in this instance means rehabilitation of society after a major social upheaval or natural disaster. This was amply demonstrated after the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004, when teachers were in the forefront of rehabilitation efforts. Thousands of children were traumatized by the tsunami and teachers from across the country volunteered to efface their emotional scars. In the North and East of post-conflict Sri Lanka, teachers are rendering a yeoman service to educate children who have known nothing but war. Similar efforts can be seen in all countries affected by conflict and disasters.

As UNESCO rightly notes in a message to mark World Teachers' Day, many teachers already work in extremely challenging circumstances, serving in communities with high rates of poverty. There are those who are seeking to ensure the right to education of 18.5 million refugee children throughout the world.

In countries affected by conflict, teachers are instrumental to reconstruction and peace-building. "We take this opportunity to commend the efforts of teachers, especially female teachers, who accept to serve in high risk, deprived and disadvantaged areas, reaching out to the excluded, and bringing them the prospect of a better life through education. Teachers are also crucial to sustainable recovery and growth in post-conflict and emergency situations," UNESCO explains.

This year, the world will honour the memory and commitment of those teachers who have lost their lives in emergency situations and teachers provide continuity and reassurance, both during and after natural disasters and other crises. By giving hope for the future and providing structure and a sense of normality, they help to mitigate the effects of conflict, disaster and displacement. Supporting teachers in post-crisis situations is an investment in peace and development.

There is a shortage of teachers in many countries. The world needs an estimated 10.3 million new teachers to reach internationally-agreed education targets under the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. After all, education is the key to the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Education for All (EFA) targets envisaged by the UN.

Moreover, teachers need to be better trained and paid if they are to deliver quality education to children. There is a decline in this those joining the ranks of teachers worldwide. This situation must be addressed and more incentives for the teaching profession is one way of making it more attractive as a career option. It goes without saying that low status, low salary and poor working conditions infringe on the rights of teachers while discouraging talented young people from joining and remaining in the teaching profession.

A loss of even one teacher greatly affects children and education. Both the UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have urged Governments to continue investing in viable national policies and programs for teacher training, recruitment, and incentives so that teachers remain and develop within the profession. They must be given due promotions to encourage them.

The UNESCO and ILO have called upon Governments, communities, national and international institutions worldwide to renew their commitment towards teachers, particularly in the poorest countries and those affected by conflict or disasters.

Events will be held worldwide to mark World Teachers' Day, including in Sri Lanka. The main ceremony will be held in Paris. Live testimonies from teachers supporting recovery worldwide and a photo exhibition which shows teachers in demanding situations are among the high points of the World Teachers' Day celebrations at UNESCO's headquarters.

The day's activities will also include presentations of the latest statistics on teachers; initiatives to promote excellence in teaching; developments from the Task Force on Teachers for Education For All; teacher education activities of the UN Relief and Works Agency and how new technologies can accelerate teacher and student development as technologies such as touch screen tablet computers have become the latest trend in education.

Education is an investment for the future. This is why countries such as Sri Lanka provide universal free education. No country can hope to develop without a sound educational base. And teachers are pivotal in this exercise. Investing in teachers and schools may not bring immediate benefits, but they will result in an enlightened society later on. The world needs to recognise the contribution made by teachers to the wider society. October 5 is thus an ideal opportunity to pay tribute to these dedicated teachers.