World Teachers Day

Today we celebrate World Teachers Day! It is a time to recognise the incredible contributions that our teachers make educating, supporting and inspiring students. Every day, teachers all around the world give their all, passing on important values to students and preparing them for the world. It's crucial that we take the time to show our appreciation for everything they do, not only for students but also society as a whole.

Aboriginal Educator Workforce Initiatives. Courtesy of NT Government, 2021.

World Teachers Day was first established in 1994 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), and is celebrated in 100 countries worldwide. For the last two years, COVID-19 has created a whole host of challenges for teachers. Educators all over the world have had to adapt and find new ways of teaching and supporting their students. Today is a day to acknowledge the time and energy they have put into continuing to provide every student with quality education (UNESCO, 2021). 

Here in Australia, education within remote Indigenous communities is incredibly important. Many teachers move to remote communities and work closely with local First Nations teachers to bring students a broad curriculum, which includes teachings of their culture and languages. Organisations such as our community partners the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) provide these remote and often marginalized communities with additional literacy and numeracy resources. ALNF’S motto “literacy is freedom” highlights the significance of First Nations children in remote communities having access to proper education, and being able to participate meaningfully in society and have a voice. We couldn’t agree more; we believe it's important to not only acknowledge the teachers, but also the non-for-profits that work incredibly hard to support the education of Indigenous students. 

Reading together. Courtesy of ALNF, 2021.

So how can you celebrate? Posting on social media is a wonderful way of sharing love. Post a picture and add the #ThankQldTeachers, #WTD2021 or any hashtag that is specific to your state. If you’re in NSW, check out the government's World Teachers Day toolkit which includes e-cards to send to your teachers and images that you can add to social media (NSW Government, 2021).

Today, we’d also like to acknowledge all of the incredible teachers that support Yarn. There are so many of you that purchase our apparel and share the beautiful artworks with your students. It is so wonderful that you are sharing First Nations art and culture with the next generation!