AASU Celebrates Teachers On World Teachers’ Day

The All-Africa Students Union (AASU) stands in solidarity with Educational International and UNESCO to celebrate teachers for their tireless contribution to world education.

The purpose of the World Teachers’ Day is to acknowledge the achievements of Teachers and raise awareness around challenges facing them and their role in the achievement of global education targets. And so, today, the All-Africa Students Union, recognising the importance of Teachers, the great impact of Teachers in the lives of students and the great sacrifices Teachers make for students, especially amidst the COVID-19, joins UNESCO to celebrate the World Teachers’ Day under the theme, “Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future.”

The relevance of Teachers resulted in the signing of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, because of which UNESCO celebrates World Teachers’ Day (WTD) every year on 5 October since 1994. The Recommendation covers the rights and responsibilities of teachers, their professional development, employment, teaching, and learning conditions. Again, it contains recommendations for Teachers’ participation in decision-making in the educational setting through social dialogue and negotiation with educational authorities. WTD also memorialises the adoption of the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel in 1997, which provides for the rights and responsibilities of higher-education teaching and research personnel. Again, Target 4.c of Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognises teachers as a key contribution to the achievement of the 2030 Education Agenda.

According to UNESCO, the COVID-19 has caused nearly 1.6 billion learners – more than 90% of the world’s total enrolled student population – to be affected by school closures and has affected over 63 million primary and secondary school teachers. Being responsible for students, the crisis has called for Teachers’ demonstration of leadership, innovation, ingenuity, and adaptation to prevent the exacerbation of the already existing educational gaps in the world. Teachers have had to prepare and provide study materials for students; adjusting the curriculum to be able to cover all topics and using all means possible to achieve the desired learning outcomes. They have had to adjust to online learning and tried as much as possible to make the same or similar academic impact on students, as it would have been in the classroom or lecture halls.

As one of the purposes of the commemoration of the World Teachers’ Day is to identify the challenges teachers face, it is of much importance that with respect to this year’s theme, teachers are supported to adapt to the remote learning systems through the provision of resources and training on new technologies for remote learning. Also, Teachers must be prioritised and considered as front-line workers amidst this pandemic, to qualify them for the benefits of a front-line worker in their various countries. Having more qualified and professional teachers will mean an increase in the delivery of quality education, hence a better future for all.

The role of the Teacher must never be undermined or ignored. As was said by the Historian Henry B. Adams, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” The All-Africa Students Union, by this Release, congratulates and appreciates all Teachers for their immense contribution to the development and the educational sector. We also place a call on governments and all educational stakeholders to consider Teachers as key groups in setting up back-to-school measures.

We wish you a happy World Teachers’ Day!

Signed:

Peter Kwasi KODJIE

Secretary-General

All-Africa Students Union (AASU)

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All-Africa Students Union (AASU) Overview

The All-Africa Students Union (AASU), formed in 1972, organizes all students in Africa – from the basic level to Institutions of higher learning. The Union has presence in all 54 African Countries, albeit, headquartered in Ghana under a headquarter agreement with the Government of Ghana. AASU's core activities are focused on a broad range of issues affecting students or have the tendency to affect students, including but not limited to the 7 strategic priorities of the Union - Education & Students Rights, Capacity Building, Gender Advocacy, Environment & Climate Action, Pan-Africanism & African Culture, Migration & Mobility, Democracy & Good Governance. AASU’s Strategic Priorities are fully aligned to the UN and AU’s development priorities as articulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063 respectively. In addition, these priorities complement the global efforts to build a relevant contemporary human capital, capable of fitting into the global citizen ecosystem. In the year 2000, the UN awarded AASU a certificate of merit in recognition of the Union’s efforts at advancing students’ rights and championing the democratization of education across the African Continent.

See: http://www.un.org/press/en/2000/20000410.dev2241.doc.html

For further information please refer to our website at www.aasuonline.org

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