New Delhi: World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5 every year to honour teachers’ crucial role to build the future of a country. According to the UNESCO website, it commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers, and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.
“The Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel was adopted in 1997 to complement the 1966 Recommendation by covering teaching personnel in higher education. World Teachers’ Day has been celebrated since the year 1994,” UNESCO states. Mercy Mounthawk took social media X and wrote, “It’s World Teachers’ Day, a day to show appreciation to the wonderful teachers who educate and shape the lives of our young people.”
Showing the similar sentiments, CTF/FCE wrote on X, “Teachers are the heartbeat of public education. On World Teachers Day, celebrate the vital role teachers play in shaping the future.”
The focus of this year’s celebration is “Valuing teacher voices: towards a new social contract for education”, underscoring the urgency of calling for and attending to teachers’ voices to address their challenges but, most importantly, to acknowledge and benefit from the expert knowledge and input that they bring to education. The theme responds to the significant challenges highlighted by the UN Secretary General’s High-level panel on the Teaching Profession, and recent Global Report on Teachers, including key new data, it states.
In India, National Education Policy (NEP 2020) recognizes that motivated, energized and capable faculty is critical for the advancement of the students, institution and profession. It also envisages incentives such as rewards and recognition to cultivate a culture of excellence in the education ecosystem. The teachers’ unique contribution and their commitment and dedication, have not only improved the quality of education but also enriched the lives of their students in the country.
India has taken several initiatives to enhance the quality and effectiveness of its teaching workforce, as per the Central government.
National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA):
It is a capacity-building programme for "Improving Quality of School Education through Integrated Teacher Training". It aims to build competencies among all the teachers and school principals at the elementary stage.
National Mission for Mentoring:
National Mission for Mentoring is a programme in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which offers professional development opportunities to Mentors for sharing their knowledge, abilities, and experience with mentees to support them on their path to becoming effective teachers.
National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST):
It seeks to fulfill NEP 2020's objectives of ensuring that all students have equitable access to the best possible education.
AICTE – Faculty Development Schemes:
In addition to all programmes mentioned above, the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) conducts several Faculty Development Schemes, including the AICTE-Quality Improvement Program, AICTE-National Initiative For Technical Teachers Training (NITTT), and training programs for physical education trainers and sports teachers.
