Asia-Pacific teachers, unions open 24-hour #WorldTeachersDay virtual celebration

This is a press release from Education International.

Education International (EI), a global union representing over 30 million educators in 172 countries, hosts the biggest online meeting of teachers and advocates for World Teachers’ Day on October 5 with the theme “Taking the Lead.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen, and UNESCO Bangkok Director Shigeru Aoyagi are among the leaders who will be joining the virtual celebration dubbed #5OctLive.

“Teachers have been absolutely outstanding during these incredibly hard times. Now is the time to stand together because together we have the power to effect real change in the world,” said EI General Secretary David Edwards.

The event takes on the theme “Taking the Lead,” acknowledging the crucial role of educators in this global crisis. “We are the teaching and learning profession. If the world is to learn the lessons of the pandemic, teachers must take the lead. On October 5th we are getting started,” Edwards said.

The Asia-Pacific program includes live panel discussions on teaching through the pandemic, and on trade union and human rights issues in the region, to be moderated by Rappler CEO Maria Ressa.

In the Philippines, active affiliates of EI are the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), Federation of Free Workers-Trade Federation VIII (FFW), Philippine Public School Teachers’Association (PPSTA), Samahang Manggagawang Pilipino-National Alliance of Teachers and Office Workers (SMP-NATOW), and Teachers Organization of the Philippine Public Sector (TOPPS). 

As the broadcast moves from one region to another, the event will highlight the specific challenges to educators and their unions in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Arab countries, Europe, Latin America, and North America and the Caribbean. 

Each region’s program includes a mix of teachers’ stories, dialogues, and messages from actors in education, including state leaders and representatives of the United Nations and nongovernment organizations. 

Registrations are open at www.5oct.org. – Rappler.com