Sri Lankans will celebrate World Teacher’s Day on October sixth (6). It was in 1994 that October 5 was made World Teacher’s Day or International Teachers Day to mark the signing of the UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the status of teachers.
To celebrate World Teacher’s Day UNESCO and Education International has an annual campaign to give the world a better view of the role of teachers. The UNDP and UNICEF too join in this effort.
Each year the day is celebrated on various themes. This year’s theme is ‘Young Teachers: The future of the Profession’.
Over 100 countries celebrate ‘World Teachers Day’. Different countries celebrate World Teachers Day on different days. India celebrates it on September 5, the birthday of its second President Shri Saravapalli Radhakrishnan. He was loved by all his students and he made a request that if anyone wanted to celebrate his birthday at all, they should do it in such a way so as to honour teachers.
In Bhutan Teachers Day is celebrated on the May 2. It is the birthday of the third king of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuck who introduced modern education to the country.
The National Teachers month celebrations start in the Phillipines on the fifth of September and goes through World Teachers Day on October 6. This is according to Presidential Proclamation No. 242 of 2011. The National Teacher's Month is celebrated starting September 5 through the World Teachers’ Day in October 5. It is the longest celebration that honours more than 500,000 teachers nationwide.
In the countries which celebrate ‘Teachers Day’ students and parents organise various activities to mark and honour teachers. Teachers are given gifts of flowers and other tokens of appreciation. Cards (often made by the students themselves) are also presented to the teachers.