World Teachers' Day 2021

Credits: UNESCO

"On World Teachers’ Day, we are not only celebrating every teacher. We are calling on countries to invest in them and prioritize them in global education recovery efforts so that every learner has access to a qualified and supported teacher. Let’s stand with our teachers!"

Joint message from Ms Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Ms Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director of UNICEF, and Mr David Edwards, General Secretary of Education International,on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day 2021.

One and a half years into the COVID-19 crisis, the 2021 World Teachers’ Day will focus on the support teachers need to fully contribute to the recovery process under the theme “Teachers at the heart of education recovery”.   Click here to read World Teachers’ Day 2021 fact sheet by UNESCO.

Overcrowded classrooms, inadequate teacher training, lack of professional development during their careers: all these factors have a negative effect on learning. World Teachers' Day, celebrated annually on 5 October, focuses this year on the right to education, which means the right to qualified teachers. On this occasion, several events are being organized at UNESCO Headquarters on 4 and 5 October.

Well-trained teachers are essential for quality education. However, teachers who have not received the required pedagogical training to teach are teaching students today. According to 2017 data from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 85% of primary school teachers worldwide have received teacher training. However, this figure masks significant regional disparities. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 64% of primary school teachers are trained. In South Asia, this rate reaches 71%. This situation is even more worrisome as the lack of teacher qualifications is often combined with classroom overcrowding. Sub-Saharan Africa has a ratio of 38 pupils to one teacher in primary schools, compared to 35 in South Asia (Source: UIS).