Empowering Teachers All Over the World

As the whole world celebrates World Teachers' Day, Senior United Nations (U.N.) officials encouraged people all over the world to support and empower teachers. Moreover, the heads of key U.N. Agencies, in a joint statement, emphasized on the role of teachers for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

"For it is they who will educate a new generation of children who, in turn, will carry forward all our goals to build a better world for all," the UN officials said. The statement made by the director generals of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN International Labour Organization, Irina Bokova and Guy Ryder respectively, along with UN Children's Executive Director Anthony Lake, UN Development Programme Administrator Helen Clark and the General Secretary of Education International Fred van Leeuwen, is an appeal to the community to value teachers.

There is also a shortage of quality teachers already. Based on studies conducted by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, countries will be needing close to 10.9 million teachers in the primary level to achieve the goal of universal primary education by 2020.

Aside from the lack of teachers, other reasons for the shortage are caused by teacher attrition all over the world. Some researchers have looked into the plight of our country's educators to figure out the underlying cause behind teachers, both the tenured and those in their early careers, dropping out of their profession.

Based on local recent studies, one in three Australian teachers is so unhappy in their profession that leads to attrition and burn out. Close to 16,000 teachers in Australia's classrooms are facing challenges in managing their professional lives and are in need of emotional support. Researchers have also documented how teachers' health and well being can be damaged if they suppress their emotions. Hence the school, students and the community as well need to help encourage and acknowledge the people that teach the young generation of today.

"This is a global education crisis in the making - unless we act," the UN officials continued. The celebration of the World Teachers' Day this year provided insights on the importance of teachers amidst the different difficulties they encounter.