This World Teachers Day we celebrate educators’ commitment and leadership during the COVID-19 crisis.
The eradication of child labour is closely linked to our work to support quality education. Providing access to education for all children is one of the most effective strategies for eradicating child labour. Quality education can break intergenerational cycles of poverty and dependence on child labour. The WNCB Alliance works on improving access to quality education as well as improving the quality of education.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly added to the challenges faced by already vulnerable education systems throughout the world. Investing in quality education is repeatedly not a priority of governments, and teachers are often underpaid. When teachers drop out due to illness, there is often no replacement. And also, teacher training is every so often inadequate when it comes to modern technologies.
The WNCB Alliance endorses the joint statement from Unesco, ILO, UNICEF and Education International:
“In this crisis, teachers have shown, as they have done so often, great leadership and innovation in ensuring that learning never stops, that no learner is left behind. Around the world, they have worked individually and collectively to find solutions and create new learning environments for their students to allow education to continue. Their role advising on school reopening plans and supporting students with the return to school is just as important.”
Today, on World Teacher Day, we not only pay our respect to our teachers worldwide. We also demand, now more than ever, to acknowledge the role of teachers in shaping the future of education and the teaching profession and take the necessary actions to support teachers and thus improving the quality of education.