5th October 2022
The theme for World Teachers’ Day 2022
“The transformation of education begins with teachers.”
The world celebrates October 5th as World Teachers’ Day.
Educators are crucial future developers and education transformers, as seen at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Teachers and education staff played an essential role in responding to the crisis and educational disruptions. They reinvented their roles to face changing and emerging demands. Many had to reorganize and adapt their teaching and learning processes, especially those related to online and distance education. They provided socio-emotional and psychological support to students by participating in activities to ensure the financial security of students and their families.
In today’s world, teachers face many challenges, but which ones?
- The world lacks enough qualified teachers.
In 2015, almost 69 million primary and secondary teachers were needed to achieve universal primary and secondary enrolment and the Sustainable Development Goals (UNESCO-UIS, 2016).
- Many teachers do not have access to quality training and continuous professional development throughout their careers.
Globally, 83% of primary and secondary teachers held the minimum required qualifications, yet in low-income countries, only 70% and 64% did so (UIS-Teacher Task Force, 2021).
- The working conditions of many teachers are inadequate and undermine the attractiveness of the profession.
Most teacher unions report concerns that pay is too low, working conditions are deteriorating, and infrastructure to support teaching and learning is not a priority for government investment. (Education International, 2021).
We want to shed light on the dangers faced by teachers throughout the world. The aforementioned issues are taken from the UNESCO’s press release but correspond to only some of the challenges taking place. Teachers have been killed, imprisoned, exiled, and lost their lives due to oppression, conflict, and persecution in the world. The attacks range from school bombings to mass shootings. Rape and sexual violence, arbitrary arrests, and forced recruitment also occurred, instigated by armed groups. Attacks on education harm the students and teachers, but they also affect the communities both on a short and long-term basis.
To mention a few,
- 611 teachers were killed and 910 schools were destroyed in nine years in Northeast Nigeria.[1] Over 22,000 students and teachers have been harmed or killed in education attacks in the last five years.[2]
- Since 2009, at least 177 of America’s schools have experienced a shooting.[3] Attackers killed 110 students and teachers, and 246 were injured.[4]
- Between 2015 and 2019, 93 countries experienced at least one attack on education, 19 more countries than in the previous reporting period of 2013-2017.[5]
- Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been particularly badly hit, with 1,500 attacks on schools in each country, and Afghanistan, Palestine, and Syria all saw 500.[6]
- In Turkey, teachers have been exposed to torture, put in prison, exiled, and lost their lives. Due to unlawful and injustice practices of the current government in Turkey, the oppression of society, cancellation of teachers’ diplomas, work permits, and passports, hundreds of thousands of people have had to leave their country illegally, risking their lives. The Turkish Government is targeting educators living abroad and the Foreign Minister has been boastful about the abduction of more than 100 teachres/educator from 19 countries by the Turkish National Intelligence Agency. The Turkish Government has been abducting teachers from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Gabon, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Qatar.
As Broken Chalk, we believe that teachers should work alongside their students on this important day. Teachers have dedicated themselves to their work and continue to educate people, contributing to society and humanity wherever they live. Unfortunately, some of them are no longer with us as a result of poor government practices, armed groups, and mass shootings. We advocate the rights of teachers through the national and international judiciary and wish to draw the attention of governments, stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, and human rights defenders in the fight against the human rights violations educators face.
We wish all the teachers in the world a happy World Teachers’ Day!
Broken Chalk announces it to the public with due respect.
Signed by
Broken Chalk
We are grateful to our teachers who shed light on people’s journey of self-discovery.
[1] https://allafrica.com/stories/202009090067.html
[2] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/22000-students-teachers-harmed-killed-attacks-education-last/
[3] https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3dbf6b680fc84036a3503159a96d50f2
[4] https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2019/07/us/ten-years-of-school-shootings-trnd/
[5] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/22000-students-teachers-harmed-killed-attacks-education-last/
[6] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/22000-students-teachers-harmed-killed-attacks-education-last/
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