World Teachers’ Day: Theme, History and Importance

World Teachers’ Day is celebrated across the globe to acknowledge the importance of teachers. The noble cause embeds a tribute within, for those who help in shaping the basic foundation of our personality. The World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 5th October every year. One of the motives behind the celebration of Teachers’ Day is to maintain a sense of respect for this dignified profession. 

World Teachers’ Day is observed globally, though the date may vary from place to place. For instance, the UK celebrates it on 5th october, India celebrates Teachers’ Day on 5th September while the US celebrates it in the first week of May. The importance of Teachers’ Day is acknowledged and cherished all across the world. Let us know more about the details related to it.

What date is Teachers’ Day?

The World Teachers’ Day is observed on 5th October every year. UNESCO proclaimed the day for the celebration in 1994. It chose the date because in 1966, the special intergovernmental conference convened on the same day in Paris, pertaining to the status of teachers. Every year, UNESCO decides on a theme for the World Teachers’ Day celebration.

Let us ponder on a few dates that different countries have allocated to celebrate the importance of Teachers’ Day.

COUNTRIESDATES
India5th September
USA1st week of May ( on Tuesday)
China10th September
Ecuador13th April
Malaysia16th May
Mexico15th May
Russia5th October
Saudi Arabia5th October
Portugal5th October

Why is Teachers’ Day celebrated?

  • Reasons behind the World Teachers’ Day:

UNESCO created the World Teachers’ Day to make the world realise the importance of teachers and their respective profession. The day of 5th October marks the adoption of an ILO/UNESCO recommendation meant for the significance of qualified and motivated teachers.

The celebration focuses on the intent to improve the status of competent teachers all across the world. The theme decided by UNESCO reflects the same. Different countries in the world organise recruitment drives, conferences, activities, training for the teachers.

Different countries have different reasons to celebrate. Let us ponder upon a few reasons behind.

  • Reasons behind the Teachers’ Day in Mexico:

Mexico celebrates the Teachers’ Day in the honour of Saint John Bapist de LaSalle. On 15 May, 1950 Pope Pius XII named the saint as ‘universal patron of all the educators’. The day highlights the contribution of Saint John Bapist de LaSalle who worked for the education of poors and orphan children.

  • Reasons behind the Teachers’ Day in Malaysia:

Malaysia celebrates Teachers’ Day on May 16 every year. It is meant for honouring every single teacher in the country. For people of Malaysia it is a medium to pay homage to those who worked tooth and nail in order to formalize the Razak Report. Razak Report represents the national unity of the country, alongwith the prevailing diversity.

  • Reasons behind the Teachers’ Day in India:

India celebrates the importance of Teachers’ Day on 5th September every year. The practice started in 1962. It marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan. He was the second President of India. He believed that teachers are the best minds of the country. In order to celebrate his belief India allocated the day of 5th September as ‘Teachers’ Day’.

Some facts about Dr Radhakrishnan, the man who realised the importance of Teachers’ Day in India:

Birth5th September 1888
EducationMadras Christain College, Voorhees College
SpouseSivakamu Radhakrishnan
AwardsBharat Ratna, Templeton Prize, Order of Merit and so on.
Death17 April, 1975

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Teachers’ Day Essay:

It is often said that ‘a good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination and instill a love of learning’. In the ancient culture of countries like India, a Guru is considered as respectful as ‘Brahma, Vishnu, Maheshwar‘. It means a teacher is equal to God. Really, a teacher is an architect of a blooming personality. By the sincere efforts of the teacher one can attain a fair character, caliber and vision.

Fortunately, we have a day alloted to celebrate the glory of this noble profession. It helps students to realise their unique bond with their esteemed teacher. Making someone learn and grow is not a cake walk. It takes a great amount of sensitivity and patience. A teacher has a tremendous responsibility on his/her shoulders.

The Teachers’ Day celebration is special for educational institutes all over the world. Students make collections to organize celebrations. In various institutes speeches, performances and competitions are conducted. The day gives immense gratification as well as relaxation to the teachers who work round the clock to enlighten the young minds. Internationally, the World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 5th October. UNESCO decides the theme which guides the nature of celebration of Teachers’ day.

Let us talk about the importance of the celebration. The celebration focuses on:

  • The sense of gratitude and respect towards the teachers.
  • The strength of the bond between a teacher and students.
  • Significance of the teaching profession to the young minds.
  • Making teachers feel special.

The day marks the gratitude towards the pure intentions and endeavours made by the teachers in day-to-day life. Students must try to inculcate good practices which could make their teachers proud. The bond between a teacher and students plays a predominant role in deciding the future of a nation. Thus, celebrations like Teachers’ Day play a crucial role in satisfying a good cause.

Teachers’ Day best quotes

After our parents, teachers are the torchbearers of knowledge and lessons in our lives. We can never undermine their importance. Our teachers provide a concrete base to the thought processes that are building blocks of our personality. Not only in present times, the respect for the bond of ‘Teacher-disciple’ has been deeply ingrained since ancient times. Our traditions expect us to be true to this impeccable bond of dedication, truth and commitment. 

Let us go through some of the amazing quotes, showcasing the charm of the bond between teachers and their students. These inspire us to respect the teachers and their profession.

  •  ‘The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.’ – Mark Van Doren
  • ‘Whenever you will find something extraordinary, you will find the fingerprints of a great teacher.’- Arne Duncan
  • ‘There is no word in the languageI revere more than teacher. My heart sings when a kid refers to me as his teacher, and it always has. I have honoured myself and the entire family of man by becoming a teacher.’- Pat Conroy
  • ‘You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forward.’- Khalil Gibran
  • ‘If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are father, mother and the teacher.’- Dr APJ Abdul Kalam
  • ‘Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lightning of a fire.’- William Butler Yeats
  • ‘Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the Earth.’- Helen Caldicott
  • ‘Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.’- Josef Albers.

Teachers’ Day gifts:

The combination of respect and gratitude could be a present of a lifetime for the esteemed teachers. Though if we talk about a materialistic gift to them, there are a lot of options available. Here are a few ideas for the presents that highlight the importance of Teachers’ Day:

  • A good book.
  • A pen stand.
  • A customized pen.
  • Customized group photograph.
  • Diary.
  • Gift cards expressing gratitude.
  • A personalized bag.
  •  Letter or card pertaining to a certain memory.

We can pick the gift keeping in mind the temperament of the respective teacher. Some may like sassy, some choose to stay simple. We can choose among the myriad options accordingly. Gifts like soft toys, coffee mugs, jewellery, and so on should be avoided.

Teachers’ Day Speech

A teacher is the fulcrum of cognizance, ideology, perception and rationality that one attains since the earliest days of life. It is rightly said that ‘being a teacher is the highest privilege and having one is the best blessing!’. So, with the sense of thankfulness let us step towards the auspicious occasion of Teachers’ Day.

The bond between a teacher and a student keeps evolving with the passage of time. It is the very first connection where faith and commitment come into the picture. It has been happening since ages. Arjuna-Drona, Chandragupta-Chanakya, Antonius-Caesar , Aristotle-Alexander, and many other instances are floating around where we get exemplary bonds between a teacher and disciple. 

Fortunately, the world chose a day to celebrate this beautiful bond and this is how we can stage our gratitude with a promise to  be true to this connection. It is the hard work of a teacher who shapes youngminds to attain a visionary mindset. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam has aptly exclaimed that teachers are the key societal members that shape a nation. 

It is very important for parents to make their children learn about the significance of teachers in their lives. Parents must be careful about children’s actions and mindsets so that young minds can easily grasp. It is plausible to understand that teaching and learning first begin at home.

The relevance of celebration would be lost if in reality, students would not carry the respect for the teachers’ efforts. The far-reaching impacts are possible only when the gratitude and respect are not academic, but practical too. As it has been rightly said-

A teacher should have a special place,

In every child’s heart!

Because in this game of life,

They help them get thei start!

As we know, without knowledge we would never excel in our lives. The source behind the obtained knowledge is our esteemed teachers. The notion of World Teachers’ Day simply highlights the respective cause. It is a sort of tribute towards the profession of teaching. The date may vary from one country to another, but the essence of respect and commitment is uniform irrespective of regions. The importance of Teachers’ Day lies with the fact that how beautifully we inculcate the lessons by the respected teachers, in the ground reality.

FAQs

What not to gift on Teachers’ Day?

While purchasing gifts for teachers, we must try to focus on simple and classy products. Though stuff like mugs, dresses, and soft toys can be avoided.

When did UNESCO start Teachers’ Day?

It started in 1994.

Name some famous teachers in world history.

Mark Twain, Albert Einstein, Heller Keller, Aristotle.

What is the current theme for World Teachers’ Day?

The current theme is ‘recover and revitalize education for the COVID-19 generation’.

Who was the first female teacher in the modern world?

Savitribai Phule is touted as the first lady teacher in the world.

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