October 5 is celebrated as World Teachers’ Day, exactly a month after the National Teacher’s Day celebrated in India on 5th September. Both the days are dedicated to teachers. World Teachers’ Day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 recommendations related to the status, teaching practices, and teacher’s rights. In India, Teacher’s Day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of its second President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
The 1966 UNESCO/ ILO Recommendation related to the Status of Teachers sets benchmarks in terms of the rights and responsibilities of teachers. Also, it sets the standards for their initial preparation and further education, employment, recruitment, teaching and learning conditions. This day is co-bought in partnership with the UNICEF and Education International (EI) and International Labour Organization (ILO).
Every year the theme for World Teacher’s Day is different. In the current year (2021), the theme is ‘Teachers at the heart of education recovery’. A joint statement by UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF, and Education International said, “On World Teachers’ Day, we are not only celebrating every teacher. We are calling on countries to invest in them and prioritize them in global education recovery efforts so that every learner has access to a qualified and supported teacher. Let’s stand with our teachers!“
Also Read: Engineering Students To Be Taught Lessons On Ramcharitmanas In MP Colleges
The Teachers’ Day in India was commenced on Radhakrishnan’s birthday at his students’ request. When Radhakrishnan held the vice president’s office, his students requested him to celebrate his birthday to which he said that his birthday should instead be observed as a celebration for all teachers.
Since 1962 when he took oath as the President of India is celebrated Teacher’s Day on his birthday to celebrate his work, which he is believed to have considered a “proud privilege”.
