A teacher is someone who has a profession of teaching others and their job is considered to be in the field of “education” or “teaching and training”. However, anyone can take on the role of a teacher informally. In some countries, educating young people at school age may take place in an informal setting such as the family, instead of a formal environment like a school or college. Some professions may require a considerable amount of education (such as a priest).

Carter, in the culture of education, says about the teacher: “The teacher is someone who, in addition to their teaching qualifications and professional abilities, possesses the art of teaching and shaping all aspects of their students. They are constantly striving to create and bring about change and vitality in their students.”

History of R.

I am a global teacher.

World Teachers’ Day or International Teachers’ Day has been celebrated every year on October 5th since 1994, which marks the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. This recommendation sets standards for the rights and responsibilities of teachers, as well as criteria for initial training and further education, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. In 1997, the recommendation was expanded to cover the status of higher education personnel to complete the 1966 recommendation, including academic and research staff in higher education. To commemorate this day, UNESCO runs a campaign every year to help the world better understand and appreciate the role of teachers and their impact on the progress of students in society.

Countries that have registered “Teacher’s Day” in their historical calendar each have a specific reason and excuse for registering such a day, and each celebrates the commemoration of Teacher’s Day in its own way. More than 100 countries celebrate World Teacher’s Day and each country holds its own special celebrations.

The reason for naming Teacher’s Day.

The purpose of naming such a day as Teacher’s Day is to honor and appreciate teachers, and to address their issues around the world. The overall goal of World Teacher’s Day is to “appreciate, evaluate, and improve educators worldwide” and provide an opportunity to address issues related to teachers and teaching. This is because despite the different individuals in the education system, it is always the teacher who is recognized as the educator of students and plays an important role in the upbringing and shaping of society’s children. The numerous problems faced by teachers around the world, including in Iran, confirm the need for such a day, as it may bring more attention towards them and help resolve their issues.

The importance of Teacher’s Day.

On World Teachers’ Day, the services and contributions of teachers in education and development are appreciated, as well as their role and importance in the progress of students and society. Various organizations such as UNESCO, Education International (EI), UNICEF, UNDP, International Labour Organization (ILO), etc. organize campaigns and conferences to achieve this goal. UNESCO chooses a theme for this day every year and campaigns focus on this theme. The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2020 was “Teachers: Leading in Crisis, Reimagining the Future.”

Without a doubt, the COVID-19 pandemic was a major challenge for teachers. All schools, kindergartens, and universities around the world had to close. This was a global event with unprecedented effects, which put a lot of pressure on teachers. Many had to adapt to new alternative methods of teaching and caring for their students. At home, parents had to become teachers and help their children learn while juggling work and other priorities.

“In a time when educational systems often suffer from budget shortages, excessive extension, or poor organization, World Teachers’ Day is equally dedicated to protecting teachers and increasing awareness of their rights and equal opportunities for education for all.”

Many complex issues, such as preserving academic freedoms, establishing independence for educational institutions, and maintaining professional teaching standards in higher education, have a significant impact on teachers around the world. World Teachers’ Day provides an opportunity to discuss these issues in meetings, webinars, seminars, and conferences.

The educational system and the role that teachers play in it have come a long way, but there is still a long way to go. For this reason, the United Nations has set the goal of sustainable development for education by 2030. World Teachers’ Day annually reminds us of this goal and the need for greater efforts to encourage teachers to continue their education.

Teachers’ rights.

Training the workforce is one of the factors that significantly contributes to the rapid economic growth and development of countries. However, the importance of the teaching profession is often overlooked in many countries as educators of the workforce, and their salaries are relatively low compared to other professions.

Differences in educational levels are considered one of the most important differences between developed and developing countries. Although other factors such as geography and available resources do not have much impact in this area, workforce education is one of the factors that greatly contributes to the rapid growth and economic development of countries. However, in many countries, the importance of teachers as educators of the workforce is overlooked and their salaries are relatively low compared to other professions.

Among the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Luxembourg, which is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, a inexperienced teacher can receive the highest salary compared to other teachers in member countries of this organization.

The salary of teachers in Iran has always been one of the most debated issues. Experts consider the most important problems of teachers to be financial issues and the failure to provide for their living expenses. Therefore, the social status of the teaching profession is directly related to the relative decrease in purchasing power.

The website “Teaching Abroad” has reviewed more than 100 foreign sources to determine the salaries of teachers in different countries around the world. This website compares the figures obtained from 100 countries with their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita (purchasing power parity). Economists use GDP per capita (purchasing power parity) to estimate the total amount of goods and services produced by the economy of a country per person. This figure represents a suitable indicator of the overall cost of living in a country. According to the report published by this website in 2019, 93% of teachers in the world earn less than the average cost of goods and services in their own country; meaning that even in countries that pay the highest salaries to their teachers, this hard-working group receives less than the average share of their country’s economy.

UNESCO Hamdan Prize.

The UNESCO Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development was established in 2008 to support the improvement of quality education and learning in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is one of UNESCO’s priorities. This prize is awarded every two years and is supported by the Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Distinguished Academic Performance (Hamdan Foundation).

Hamdan Foundation was established in 1998 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai and the Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates. The aim of this foundation is to excel in education and support talents and innovations to improve educational performance at all levels and sectors, to honor all groups and relevant authorities in the education sector and institutions, as well as individuals who present outstanding achievements and creativity.

The purpose of establishing this biennial award, which was created based on the decisions of the UNESCO Executive Council in 2008 and was reviewed and extended in 2014, is to recognize significant activities that have been carried out for at least three years by national and international governmental and non-governmental organizations, or relevant educational and research institutions, in order to develop teachers’ professions and improve the quality of their teaching.

For more information, please refer to:

1- UNESCO official website.

2- Twinkl Educational Institute Website.

3- How much do teachers get paid in different countries?, Trade News, 23 Shahrivar 1397.