World Teachers’ Day tomorrow

As the United Nations (UN) declares October 5 as World Teachers’ Day, drawing public attention to the important role of teachers in society, the Philippines also honors our more than 500,000 teachers in the country this day, as mandated under Presidential Proclamation No. 479. This year, UN gives focus on the working conditions of teachers around the world. Its theme this year is “better working conditions for teachers mean better learning conditions for learners”. This counts a lot towards the realization of objectives and meeting commitments by countries as drawn under the Literacy and Education for All Programs worldwide.

Locally, we note one of the priorities of the government is the massive retraining of public school teachers to update their knowledge and skills in the core disciplines in English, Mathematics and Science. With more trained teachers, students are better equipped to meet the growing challenges of a highly competitive global village.

Teachers today are faced with greater challenges and more competition. While they are equipped with more sophisticated and convenient tools of learning, i.e., computerized teaching aids to facilitate their work, the more important formation of values in a conventional classroom between the teacher and students are replaced in the process. The influence of teachers on students, next to that of parents, however, remains crucial. In the words of Henry Brooks Adams, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops”. This kind of relationship that instills discipline and enables practical application of theories to real life situations is what technology can never replace.

Our teachers are recognized in other countries as some of the best. Their dedication and hard work are always noteworthy. We take our hats off to the teachers in remote provinces who do their jobs despite poor classroom conditions, the lack of books and necessary teaching aids. We salute those teachers who willingly go beyond their duty to serve their communities during calamities, emergency and crisis situations and those who advocate for positive change in the country and the world. Most of all, we praise the teachers who seek to improve their teaching for the sake of their students; who refuse the comforts of mediocrity, espousing hard work so that younger minds are inspired to learn more, to seek purpose in life and to work towards a clear vision.

Teachers must always remember that their every word, action and deed influence young, inexperienced minds. Teaching is the only profession that teaches all other professions. On World Teachers’ Day, we pray all teachers will be endowed with the divine wisdom and inspiration to reach out to the poor children and youth of the world and teach them the value of education as a tool not only to improve themselves but also to help develop the world, fostering cooperation and brotherhood in the process. In so doing, we hope that they will impart the greatest lesson of all — love and sacrifice for others in need.