We explain what Teacher's Day is and when it is celebrated in different countries. Also, phrases alluding to Teacher's Day by famous authors.
What is Teacher's Day?
Teacher's Day or Teacher's Day It is a holiday in which tribute is paid to teachers especially those in basic education and high school. It is a tribute carried out on different dates in practically all nations of the world, and that Its objective is to recognize the importance of teaching work and the crucial role that educators play in the formation of individuals.
This celebration has a long history: it was proposed for the first time in the 19th century, although in an uncoordinated manner among countries, which chose notable days or specific commemorations to establish their national teacher's day. However, In 1994, UNESCO proposed an international date (October 5) to pay tribute to the world's teachers (known as World Teachers' Day).
This date commemorated the adoption in 1966 of the UNESCO and ILO Recommendation on the Status of Teaching Personnel, a document that established a series of international reference criteria regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers.
See also: Pedagogy
When is Teacher's Day celebrated?
Teacher's Day is celebrated on different days depending on each country, although in 1994 UNESCO proposed October 5 as World Teacher's Day. This anniversary is celebrated in many countries, while in others it is preferred to use other days of local significance.
| Country | teacher's day | Reasons |
| Argentina | September 11 | Commemoration of the death of the Argentine educator and politician Domingo Faustino Sarmiento. |
| Brazil | October 15 | Day on which Emperor Peter I created by law the first initial level schools in the entire country. |
| China | September 10 | Decreed in 1985 by the government. |
| South Korea | May 15 | Anniversary of the birth of Sejong the Great. |
| Cuba | December 22 | Day on which Cuba was declared a country free of illiteracy in 1961. |
| Spain | November 27 | Day of San José de Calasanz, patron saint of teachers and founder of the first popular Christian school in Europe. |
| USA | First Tuesday in May | Part of the National Education Association (NEA) Teacher Appreciation Week. |
| Greece | January 30 | Commemoration of the three high patriarchs and ecumenical educators of the Orthodox Church: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom. |
| Mexico | May 15 | Commemoration of the Taking of Querétaro of 1867. |
| Peru | July 6 | Commemoration of the founding of the first Normal School for Boys in 1822 by the liberator José de San Martín. |
| Poland | October 14 | Anniversary of the creation of the National Education Commission by King Stanislaus Poniatowski in 1773. |
| Türkiye | November 24 | Adoption of the new Turkish alphabet and declaration of President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as teacher of all national schools. |
| Venezuela | January 15 | Creation of the Venezuelan Society of Public Instruction Teachers in 1932. |
Origin of Teacher's Day
Because there has always been awareness of the vital role of teachers in society, there is no single common origin for the commemoration of Teachers' Day. However, In the 19th century, the teaching profession in most countries of the world took on an important union dimension which allowed it to organize itself to defend its interests in the industrial world. In this way, in each country a favorable date was chosen to celebrate the national educational legacy.
Phrases alluding to Teacher's Day
Some famous phrases regarding teaching and the importance of teaching are the following:
- “To educate is not to give a career to live, but to temper a soul for the difficulties of life” – Pythagoras (c. 569-c.475 BC), Greek philosopher and mathematician.
- “A teacher is an architect. Learning without thinking is wasted effort, and thinking without learning is very dangerous” – Confucius (551-479 BC), Chinese philosopher.
- “The educator is the person who makes all difficult things look easy” – Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American writer and philosopher.
- “The teacher leaves his mark for eternity, it is impossible to know when his influence stops” – Henry Adams (1838-1918), American historian.
- “The supreme art of the teacher consists of awakening the joy of creative expression and knowledge” – Albert Einstein (1879-1955), German physicist.
- “The task of the modern educator is not to cut down forests, but to water deserts” – CS Lewis (1898-1963), British writer.
- “Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten” – Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990), American psychologist.
Continue with: School
References
- “Teacher's Day” on Wikipedia.
- “World Teachers' Day” on Wikipedia.
- “Teacher's Day” at the National Commission for Human Rights of Mexico.
- “10 phrases to celebrate Teacher's Day this June 6 in Peru” in El Comercio (Peru).
- “Why is Teacher's Day celebrated?” in the Ministry of Education of Argentina.
- “World Teacher's Day” at UNESCO.
