The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said up to 10.9 million teachers need to be hired worldwide by 2020 to meet the goal of universal primary education for all. Early Childhood Education was highlighted for the October 5th Commemoration. World Teacher’s day has been held on this date since 1994
Do you know what totalitarian governments do first when they take over? They imprison, exile, or make teachers “disappear.” They do this because they know what the threat of education can have on their regimes. People who have been shown how to learn and think, can be very dangerous to leaders who wish to maintain complete authority over it’s citizens.
In America, teachers have historically been viewed and treated in a messed up way. We value their work, but they usually get less pay and respect than someone who is in a similar profession.
Potential teachers recognize this and have started taking other positions on the workforce. Between the years of 2008 and 2013, the state of California saw a 53% drop in teacher preparation programs. Michigan saw 38% and Texas was at 19% over the same 5 years. This is not good for the young people of these states.
This isn’t just a problem for Americans however. Over 100 countries around the world recognize this day. The efforts of Education International, and its 401 member organizations, have contributed to this widely spread recognition. Every year, EI launches a public awareness campaign to highlight the contributions of the teaching profession.
New estimates by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) show that approximately 124 million children and adolescents were out of school in 2013. Of this number, 59 million were of primary school age and 65 million were of lower secondary school age.
The entrance ages and durations of primary and lower secondary education vary between countries, but primary school age is typically 6-11 years and lower secondary school age is typically 12-15 years. The estimate for 2013 represents a decrease by 72 million from 2000, when about 196 million children and adolescents were out of school.
At the global level, girls are still more likely to be out of school than boys, but the difference fell slightly from the year 2000. As was mentioned in the first paragraph of this article, 10.9 million teachers will be needed by the year 2020 if we are to change this international problem!
Our young people are our future. The world is constantly changing and evolving. There are also increasing problems and risks that today’s youth and the youth of tomorrow will have to face. Without the proper education necessary to succeed in society, their potential future looks quite bleak to me personally.
So support the teachers that you know. If you are in a position to vote to better their schools or livelihood, do the right thing. Donate both time and money to your local school systems, no matter how small.
And if by chance you area young person who is thinking of becoming a teacher yourself, please go with your heart and do so. No, you might not become rich financially doing it, but the wealth of satisfaction you will receive from knowing you made a difference in young people’s lives will overcome that.
So, in closing, I just want to say that I personally appreciate the teachers that I had, I appreciate the teachers that work with my son, and though I don’t know you, I appreciate all of the teachers out there and I just want to say “Thank you.”
