October 04, 2013 - “A Call for Teachers!” is the slogan of World Teachers’ Day being
marked on Saturday, October 5. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) is marking the annual observance along with its partners, the
International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN’s Development Programme (UNDP), the
UN’s children’s fund (UNICEF) and Education International (EI). At the UNESCO Headquarters
in Paris, the focus of the 2013 World Teachers’ Day celebration will be on tackling
the teacher gap, barriers to better quality education and teachers’ role in developing
globally-minded citizens. UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, noted that there
is “A Call for Teachers” because there is a huge shortage of professional, well-trained
and well-supported teachers to achieve better quality education.” “The challenge
of recruiting teachers does not lie just in the numbers, but in the provision of quality
teachers,” she said, adding, “Far too often teachers remain under-qualified, poorly
paid and with low status.” Accordign to UNESCO, there is no stronger foundation for
lasting peace and sustainable development than a quality education provided by well
trained, valued, supported and motivated teachers. (Source: UN)