World Teachers Day 2021: History of Teachers’ Day

World Teachers Day 2021 is almost here! UNESCO is credited for establishing World Teachers’ Day in 1994. It is mainly inaugurated to honor the contributions and achievements of teachers and also get to know about their priorities and concerns related to education. World Teachers’ Day is observed by the United Nations Educational, UNESCO(Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in partnership with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), Education International, and ILO (International Labour Organisation). If you are curious about the history of Teachers’ Day. Want to test your knowledge of World Teachers Day? Take our latest quiz on World Teachers day.

History of Teachers’ Day

World Teachers’ Day, also recognized as International Teachers Day, is celebrated on October 5. However, some countries observe Teachers’ Day on different days. October 5 was picked to commemorate Teacher’s Day globally because on the same date in 1966 a special intergovernmental conference accepted the UNESCO suggestion regarding the Status of Teachers. This special intergovernmental conference organized by UNESCO in collaboration with the ILO was held in Paris and was adopted as a day to honor the teaching profession. The recommendation by UNESCO gave teachers from around the world an honor that defines their responsibilities and their rights. In order to adapt the approach, governments unanimously acknowledged the importance of teachers, which includes teachers’ responsibilities, rights, future education, initial preparation, employment, recruitment, and teaching-learning methods.

World Teachers Day Significance

As stated by UNESCO, the WTD offers a day to honor Teachers’ achievements, challenges they face, and their responsibilities to achieve the world education targets and increase awareness about the importance of teachers. 

Recognizing the importance of teachers is key to the achievement of the Education 2030 agenda. World Teachers Day is the occasion to mark the achievements and challenges of the teaching profession. 

When is World Teachers’ Day 2021?

World Teacher’s Day is observed on October 5. Celebrating Teachers Day was first observed in 1994.

International Teachers Day Celebration

To commemorate International Teachers Days, the UNESCO and Education International (EI) organize a campaign every year to give a better understanding of the roles of teachers and their contribution to the development of students and society. The main focus of the campaign is bringing different themes each year. For example, the theme of 2017 was “Empowering Teachers”. The campaign also held for the status of teachers. In 2018, the theme was “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher.” This theme was selected to recognize the right to education without qualified teachers.