Any meaningful development cannot be envisaged without a requisite human resource; people equipped with adequate knowledge, commitments and values promoting the wellbeing of their society. Education- the training mechanism for human resource- is, therefore, the bedrock for sustainable development.
The trainers- our teachers- constitute the cornerstones of the whole process geared towards the advancement of our society. Considering their crucial role, the teachers must be held in high esteem and be well prepared in order to enable them to discharge their duties adequately. It is therefore important to promote teachers’ status in the interest of quality education.
This year’s World Teachers’ Day theme is “Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status”. It coincides with the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. In 1994 UNESCO proclaimed 5th October as World Teachers’ Day because it was on that day in 1966 that a special intergovernmental conference convened by UNESCO in Paris adopted the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation on the status of teachers.
The place and key role of teachers in the process towards achieving sustainable development have been recognized for a long time and the need to ensure that they get all the necessary tools for the tasks ahead of them. The Education 2030 Framework for Action, a roadmap for the Sustainable Development Goal 4 “SDG4”, emphasized that teachers are fundamental for equitable and quality education and, as such, must be “adequately trained, recruited and remunerated, motivated and supported within well-resourced, efficient and effectively governed systems”. SDG4 pledges to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”.
The aforementioned, clearly, attest to the necessary and pivotal role of teachers in the advancement of the society. It is, therefore, mind boggling to witness the difficult conditions in which teachers find themselves particularly in Africa. They are subjected to low remuneration, inadequate training, poor working conditions etc.
It is imperative for African governments to improve on their efforts by abiding by the recommendation that sets forth the rights and responsibilities of teachers as well as international standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, teaching and learning conditions.
On the occasion of this World Teachers’ Day, the All Africa Students Union (AASU) commends all the teachers particularly African teachers for their immense and irreplaceable contributions to the efforts aimed at uplifting the continent from its current doldrums.
AASU calls on its member and friendly organizations to create awareness about the pivotal role of teachers in society and the need for the recognition and promotion of their status.
Long live World Teachers’ Day!
Source: AASU-Secretariat
