October 5 2015 is World Teachers Day: “Empowering teachers, building sustainable societies”.
In marking World Teachers Day, the Commonwealth recognises that teachers are a national professional treasure and key to quality education and learning in our societies.
In the wake of the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals, we are reminded of the vital role teachers play in the global education agenda. Approximately 3.4 million additional teachers will be required by 2030 to achieve universal primary education and 5.1 million more will be needed to achieve universal lower secondary education.
The Commonwealth Secretariat continues to support teacher development programmes as we understand our social goals hinge on qualified, motivated and professionally supported teachers. We have developed professional standards for teachers and school leaders to guide countries in defining requirements in technical knowledge, teaching skills and personal attributes that education professionals must demonstrate to achieve their objectives. It is hoped these tools will go a long way in assisting countries to supporting their teachers.
At the 19th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers in June, ministers acknowledged the central role of teachers in quality education. Ministers were committed to raising the status of teaching as a profession in supporting professional development and conditions of service to ensure teachers are motivated and supported in the classroom. Ministers also reaffirmed the importance of effective governance of teaching to promote accountability and transparency.
I salute all teachers for their work in mentoring and shaping our future generations.
