WORLD TEACHERS DAY 2023
yvlghana1000WORLD TEACHER’S DAY 2023 KEYNOTE SPEECH DELIVERED BY MR. JOSEPH
TETTEY AFANGBE ON THE 5TH OCTOBER, 2023 AT POBIMAN YOUNG URBAN
WOMEN RESOUCE CENTER
THEME: “The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: Promoting an attractive
and enjoyable teaching career through play”
Madam Chair, Niimey / Naamey, The Public Relation Officer Ga-West Municipal Directorate, Municipal Director for National Commission for Civil Education, Representatives from the Ga-West Municipal Assembly, Heads schools, Teachers, Fellow Development Partners, Parents, Pupils, Ladies and Gentlemen.
A very good morning to you all!
It is an honor done me to be here with you this morning to deliver the keynote speech of this august occasion.
History
To start with, World Teachers’ Day is an international day held annually on 5 October to celebrate the work of teachers. Established in 1994, it commemorates the signing of recommendations by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The 1966 “ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers is a standard-setting instrument that addresses the status and situations of teachers around the world. This recommendation outlines standards relating to education personnel policy, recruitment, and initial training as well as the continuing education of teachers, their
employment, and working conditions. World Teachers’ Day aims to focus on “appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world” and to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching.
Theme: for this year’s celebration is “the teachers we need for the education we want: the global
imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.”
World Teachers’ Day 2023 focuses on the need to reverse global teacher shortages, including how to improve the profession’s appeal.
Teachers are at the core of all education systems, laying the foundation for achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all. However, serious teacher shortages persist in many countries around the world, and this is true across regions and within countries themselves. It is particularly true in poor and remote regions. These disparities hinder the achievement of global and national education targets.
According to UNESCO, globally, 44 million additional teachers need to be recruited to meet universal primary and secondary education in 2030 of which 1 in 3, or 15 million, are needed in sub-Saharan Africa alone – a number which has decreased by only 2 million since 2016.
Teacher shortage is a global phenomenon, affecting developing and developed countries alike.
Being a teacher provides the unique opportunity to make a transformative and lasting impact on the lives of others, contributing to shaping sustainable futures and offering personal fulfilment. However, the world faces an unprecedented global teacher shortage exacerbated by a decline in
their working conditions and status.
With the theme “The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage”, the 2023 celebration aims to put the importance of stopping the decline in the number of teachers and then starting to increase that number at the top of the global agenda. Through various activities, they will advocate for a dignified and valued teaching profession, analyses their challenges, and showcase inspiring practices to attract, retain and motivate teachers
and educators. It will also examine the ways in which education systems, societies, communities, and families recognize, appreciate, and actively support teachers.
The commemoration of World Teachers’ Day serves as an opportunity to recognize and honour the invaluable contributions made by teachers in shaping the future of education. We believe that teachers play a crucial role in nurturing young minds and inspiring students to become the best versions of themselves.
Based on the above-mentioned statements, UNESCO and partners celebrate teachers on 5 October every year. UNESCO wants us to remember that education is a basic human right and every child should have free education. UNESCO hopes to train 69 million new teachers by 2030 so that everyone can go to school, because, sadly, 264 million children in the world today are not in school because there aren’t enough teachers. Those children are often in places where life is already very difficult because they live in poor areas or far away from cities and towns, or they are escaping war in their own countries.
Pupils graciously showing us the benefit of teachers in every child’s life. The time the teachers take on every child’s under their care’s development.
Ghana’s Context
Madam Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen, according to data, over ten thousand (10000) have left the teaching service to travel abroad for better opportunities as a result of challenges coupled with the services here in Ghana. The teachers we need: We need selfless, dedicated, hardworking, and patriotic teachers for the
education we want as a country. We there call on the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to ensure that teaching is transformed into a more attractive and valorized profession where teachers are valued, trusted, and adequately supported to meet the needs of every learner. Bold actions must be taken, if we are to reverse the current decline and successfully increase teacher numbers.”
Move the World and Global Fund for Children partners observe this day with the theme: “The Teachers We Need for the Education We Want: Promoting an attractive and enjoyable teaching career through play.’’ The best practices of play-based learning that encourages positive and innovative teaching experiences and the development of teachers. By incorporating play-based activities into the classroom, teachers can create engaging and interactive learning environments that promote effective communication, collaboration, and understanding between teachers and pupils.
Madam Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen, learning through play is how we are built to learn. And the evidence keeps growing that playing helps children master all the skills they need to thrive in our fast-moving, ever-changing world. Through play, children build five flexible skills that help them take on the future with confidence:
Physical, Social, Emotional, Cognitive and Creative Skills. Every child wonder what they will be when they grow up. But how do they prepare for a world
that keeps changing? Who would have thought drone pilot or content creator would be a job thirty years ago?
Through play, children flex and find their way. Instead of noting down rigid facts and figures, they hone ways of thinking, creating, working together and testing ideas. All skills they will need to thrive throughout their lives. So, the sooner we bring learning through play into every home and classroom, the sooner we help our children get set for tomorrow. Whatever tomorrow looks like. We therefore encourage teachers, parents and school authorities to cultivate and in cooperate the habit of learning trough
play as we celebrate this important day.
Madam Chair, Ladies and Gentlemen, Teachers, you are not just educators; you are role models. Your dedication, perseverance, and integrity inspire us to be better individuals. You teach us not only subjects but also values that will guide us throughout our lives. As we celebrate today, let’s acknowledge the profound influence you have on shaping our character and the future.
Education is a gift that keeps on giving. Teachers, you give us the most precious gift of all: knowledge. With this gift, we have the power to change the world. Let us remember that education is a lifelong journey, and your teachings are the foundation upon which we build our dreams. On this occasion, let us also remember the responsibilities that come with education. Let us pledge to use our knowledge not just for personal gain but for the betterment of society. Let us be compassionate, empathetic and responsible citizens who contribute positively to the world.
To all teachers here and everywhere, I want to say a heartfelt thank you. Thank you, your unwavering commitment, your sacrifices, and your passion for teaching. You are true heroes; the builders of our dear nation and we are forever indebted to you.
I want to borrow the quote by Harry S. Truman: “If You Can Read This Thank A Teacher.”
In conclusion, Madam Chair, let me say that a nation’s greatness is determined by the quality of its education, and the dedication of its teachers. Our teachers are the torchbearers of our nation’s future. They light the way for us and countless generations to come. May God Bless Us All and Bless Our Homeland Ghana. Thank you and enjoy the program.
WRITTEN BY:
Joseph Tettey Afangbe.
Founder and Executive Director
Young Visionary Leaders Ghana
Co-Convener Ghana CSOs Sub-Platform on Sustainable Development Goal 4
Vice-Chair, Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition, Greater Accra.
Tel: +233(0)247502614 Email: josephafangbe@yvlghana.org
