Ei-iE

On the 30th anniversary of World Teachers’ Day, celebrated on October 5th, Education International Asia-Pacific (EIAP) member organizations are calling on governments to invest in teacher professional development and strengthen public education systems.

Ensuring the teachers’ voice is heard via their unions

Celebrating all teachers around the globe since 1994, World Teachers’ Day is co-convened by UNESCO, the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and EI and commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The recommendation 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.

During the event, which brought together educators from India, Maldives, Thailand, Australia, and Sri Lanka, EIAP Regional Director Anand Singh highlighted the critical role of teachers and referred to this year’s theme, “Valuing teacher voices: towards a new social contract for education”. He said: “Unions are the collective voices of teachers, amplifying their concerns, their ideas, and their demands for fair treatment and professional respect. It is through unions that we can ensure teachers’ voices are not just heard but acted upon. We must continue to support and strengthen unions globally, as they are key to forging this new social contract.”

Reshaping educational systems through a collaborative approach

The celebration also underscored the urgent need for increased funding and support for teachers, advocating for a collaborative approach to reshape educational systems where teachers' voices are heard and valued throughout the education system.

As discussions on a new social contract for education continue, Xiaoyan Qian, Director of the ILO’s Decent Work Technical Support Team for East Asia and the Pacific, stressed the need to create an environment that attracts new talents into the profession, while retaining experienced teachers.

For John Cena, Deputy Director, Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Secretariat (SEAMEO), “valuing teacher voice is not just a goal, but a foundation for building stronger and inclusive education systems.”

Panelists, including teachers and education union leaders from Maldives, India, and Sri Lanka, further shared experiences from their countries, emphasizing that a new social contract must elevate the teaching profession through tangible actions that demonstrate respect for and trust in teachers.

In his concluding remarks, EI’s Singh launched a call to action: “Let us continue, together, to fight for a world where teachers' voices are valued and the teaching profession is empowered, as we work to implement the transformative changes outlined by the UN High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession in its recommendations.”

The Panel’s recommendations provide policy advice for governments to ensure that every child’s right to a professionally trained, qualified, and well-supported teacher is fulfilled.