“This is the worst class I have ever met”.
Sound familiar? I’m sure many of you are nodding already. As a student I speak for all of us- we’ve been all there. And yet here is the irony: in those classes we discovered the sweetest memories, the lessons that shaped our characters, and the teachers who believed us when we hardly believed in ourselves. They are the ones who turned struggles into strength. “If there were no teachers, All other professions would not exist”. They made the students into professionals, leaders, and philosophers. Their lessons go beyond the textbooks, their encouragement has made all the difference, and teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops. Once Dr. Abdul Kalaam has said, “Teaching is very noble profession that shapes the character, caliber, and future of an individual…” On this teacher’s day let’s laugh at the memories, honor the guidance, and celebrate the teachers.
Every year on October 5, the world celebrates World Teacher’s Day, recognizing the vital role teachers play in shaping minds and societies. Sri Lanka too joins this global tribute, often with its own school level and national events on 6th of October, The day commemorates the anniversary of the 1966, International Labor Organization along with UNESCO recommendation considering the status of teachers, which established a framework for the rights and responsibilities of educators worldwide. Here world celebrates all Educators, University Lecturers, Early Childhood Teachers and anyone in the Teaching Profession.
“The Extra Mile Teacher, A UNESCO report once highlighted rural teachers in Africa who walked several kilometers daily just to reach small village schools- often teaching under trees without proper classrooms. That shows how far teachers will go when resources are lacking.
UNESCO plays a significant role in supporting teachers and advancing education globally. The organization advocates for improving the status of teachers and promotes policies that enhances their professional development, recruitment, and working conditions. UNESCO decides the annual theme of each year, Teacher’s Day. According to prevailing information published in Chegg India and SDG Resource Centre, the Theme for 2025 would be, ‘’Empowering Educators: Strengthening Sustainability’’ captures the bolster teachers’ adaptability and long term support systems.
Advocacy Campaigns (Teachers cannot be coded)
“In 2024, a teacher in Europe shared how her students were using chatbots to answer assignments. Instead of punishing them, she asked AI to write a funny poem about herself as a teacher, and shared it in class. Students Laughed, learned, and realized creativity can’t be coded”
Teachers and Artificial Intelligence, ‘’Teachers can’t be coded’’ In August 2025, UNESCO emphasized that while AI is transforming education, it can never replace the human qualities of teachers. Teachers provide empathy, ethics, cultural values and human connections, AI cannot replicate. Data shows teacher attrition has been rising sharply due to stress, low pay and lack of recognition.
Global report in Mexico (May,2025)
Global report presented in Mexico reviewed the state of the teaching profession worldwide.
Training gaps-Many teachers are underprepared for modern classrooms, with digital tools.
Well- being-Teachers feel stress, heavy workloads
Policy reforms- Countries must invest in continuous teacher development, fair working conditions and gender equality in the profession
Teachers need continuous support and recognition their role is evolving and systems must evolve too.
Teacher leadership and Empowerment (Kazakhastan Oct,2024)
UNESCO highlighted non-positional leadership, the idea teachers don’t need titles ( like principal or head) to be leaders. This model empowered teachers to innovate and adapt to community needs without waiting for official reforms. Teacher leadership comes from initiative and collaboration, not just authority
Host Landmark Events & Summit
In August 2025, UNESCO and the Chilean government hosted the World Summit on Teachers in Santiago, culminating in the Santiago Consensus – a pledge urging governments to act decisively.
Key commitments included: teacher recruitment and retention, fair pay, mentoring, inclusive decision-making, and protecting the human bond in classrooms amid rising digitalization.
Earlier in the year, UNESCO’s Regional Office in Santiago held a high-level event, “Teachers: Key Players in Sustainable Development”, to launch the Regional Teacher Strategy 2025 – 2030 for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, Pan – African celebrations are planned for October 1 – 3, 2025, alongside the Pan African Conference on Teachers’ Education in Addis Ababa demonstrating UNESCO’s continental
“In Sri Lanka, despite shortages, many teachers still show up in classrooms against all odds. One story from 2022, tells of a teacher who cycled 10Km daily when buses stopped due to fuel shortages just to ensure her students didn’t miss their lessons. That’s true resilience”
We Sri Lankans celebrate teachers day a day after the world teachers day, 6th October, to remark the birth anniversary of Dr. CWW Kannangara, the ‘’Father of Free Education”. Here in Sri Lanka rooted in the idea ‘’Guru Devo Bhava’’,( Teacher is like a God) we pay a strong respect for teachers symbolically worshipping with betels.
Celebrating Teachers
Teachers Day celebrations can range from simple gestures of appreciation to broader, school wide events such as, writing personalized notes, Decorating classroom or school, Creating tribute videos or appreciation books, Organizing surprise parties, Giving gifts, Holding special award ceremony and special assembely, Special programmes to honor Lecturers in Universities and Community events and donation projects by Clubs and Socities
Challenges and Government Response
Like many countries, Sri Lanka faces its own set of challenges in the education sector. The country has been grappling with a significant teacher shortages, Unequal resources, low salaries, and Digital divide. In 2023, there was a reported shortage of around 45,000 teachers serving over 4.3 million schoolchildren. This deficit is attributed to factors like administrative delays, uneven recruitment, and a growing number of teachers taking leave to work abroad. In response, the Ministry of Education has launched recruitment drives, including hiring teachers for A-Level science, mathematics, and foreign languages, and recruiting academic graduates to fill vacancies. Government is able to recruit drives, conduct programs, update curricula and holding recognition events
Leadership and Future Vision
On World Teachers’ Day, Sri Lankan leaders have publicly acknowledged the crucial role of teachers as “creators of the future.” They have also recognized the existing challenges, such as low wages and difficult working conditions, and pledged a commitment to improving the status of teachers and their professional environment. This aligns with UNESCO’s global efforts, such as the Santiago Consensus, which calls for better teacher policies, fair employment, and sustainable financing, Digital Transformation, Fair resource allocation, raising status of teachers and linking with UNESCO’s SDG 4 (Quality Education) so Sri Lankan teachers are part of the global education movement The conversation around Teachers’ Day, both globally and in Sri Lanka, is moving beyond simple appreciation to a focus on systemic change, ensuring that educators are valued, supported, and empowered to fulfill their essential role in building a better future.
“Teacher’s Day is more than just a date on the calendar – it’s a celebration of patience, passion, and the quiet heroism that teachers show every day. From the school in a small Sri Lankan village where a teacher walks miles to ensure every child learns, to university lecture halls where professors guide the next generation of innovators and leaders, teaching transcends borders.
Globally, UNESCO reminds us that educators are the backbone of societies, shaping minds, inspiring creativity, and adapting to challenges we may not even imagine. Locally, Sri Lanka honors this legacy with heartfelt traditions, stories, and ceremonies that connect students, teachers, and communities in shared respect and gratitude.
And yet, behind every exam corrected, every lesson planned, and every smile in the classroom, lies a human being committed to change – a teacher who laughs at the silly excuses, cheers for small victories, and holds the future of a nation in their hands.
So, whether it’s a student whispering ‘I studied everything!’ or a global summit discussing policies and teacher training, this October, let us pause, appreciate, and remember: every teacher matters, every lesson counts, and every classroom from Colombo to Copenhagen – is a place where the world begins anew.”
“Whether it’s a student forgetting homework in Colombo, a sleepy lecture hall in Harvard or a last-minute question in MIT, teachers everywhere survive the chaos with patience, laughter, and endless dedication. Here’s to the heroes who shape our future one lesson at a time – Happy Teacher’s Day!”
Written By: –
Rtr. Kihansa Wickramasinghe
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
Design By: –
Rtr. Nethmini Pathirana
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
