5th October 2012 - “Take a stand for teachers!” is the slogan of the World Teachers’ Day 2012, which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is celebrating along with its partners, the International Labour Organization, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund and Education International.
Teachers provide an invaluable service. They are the first guides of children outside their homes, helping them to discover and understand the world around through the power of books, learning and knowledge - through the power of education. To take a stand for teachers and the teaching profession means to support teachers in the work that they do by providing adequate training, ongoing professional development, and protecting their rights. All over the world, a quality education offers hope and the promise of a better standard of living. However, there can be no quality education if teachers are not encouraged, supported and motivated.
Why take a stand for teachers?
- Because the role of teachers is irreplacable;
- Because the profession is losing its status, support, and respect in many parts of the world;
- Because education is a powerful tool for global development and peace;
- Because many students around the world are banking their futures on inadequately trained and weakly motivated teachers;
- Because globally at present 60 million children remain out-of-school and 215 million children are child labourers due to factors that include lack of adequate and/or well-trained teachers;
- Because an additional 2 million teachers are needed to ensure that all children receive primary education by 2015.
On this World Teachers’ Day, Global March Against Child Labour salutes all teachers, their unions and organisations across the world that are making sincere contributions in the protection, promotion and fulfillment of the rights of our children. Recognising the crucial role of teachers in building the future, Global March urges governments, civil society and others to support teachers and their associations and work towards raising the status of the teaching profession.
To strengthen the role of teacher unions’ role in combating child labour and to achieve Education For All, an International Conference on Child Labour, convened by Education International, Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft (GEW), a teacher union in Germany and Algemene Onderwijsbond (AOb) from the Netherlands is being held from 5-7 October 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Global March Against Child Labour is also participating in the Conference.
