May the voices of teachers resonate throughout the world

Declaration of World Teachers Day by Director of Education cannot wait Yasmine Sherif

NEW YORK, October 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — We must create a new social contract for education – one based on equity, equality and universal human rights. At the center of our global efforts to ensure education for all, we must put teachers first in everything we do. They are heroes on the front lines who do their best every day to educate children, cultivate young talent and build a strong society. They are the surrogate parents, the mentors and the ones who help shape the identity of a child at war, in a refugee camp or in climate change.

On World Teachers’ Day, we salute the remarkable work done by teachers on the frontlines of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In places like Beirut, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, Haiti, Sudan And Ukrainethese teachers work under dangerous conditions to provide girls and boys with the life-saving – and life-affirming – opportunities that only a quality education can provide.

As the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises within the United Nations, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) puts the voices of teachers at the forefront of everything we do. Last year alone, we provided training to more than 100,000 teachers (59% women) on topics ranging from mental health, science, technology, engineering and mathematics education, gender inclusion and disaster risk reduction. Approximately 60% of our investments active in 2023 supported teacher recruitment and/or financial support to retain teachers, with a focus on equity and inclusivity. This collective work reached a total of 5.6 million children and adolescents affected by the crisis in 2023.

In Nigeriawhere approximately 18 million children are out of school, brave and courageous teachers like Hafsat are making a real difference. At the Hajj camp in Borno state, Hafsat and other teachers like her provide education for girls and boys who were children of members of an armed group or who may have been child soldiers themselves. In this wild corner of northeastern Nigeria, children are born into conflict and live in constant fear of kidnapping, forced recruitment, slavery and sexual exploitation.

Imagine the difference Hafsat can make in the lives of its students, its community and the world at large; as she puts it: “I love children, and I also believe that my work is important for peace building.”

We face a number of challenges in mobilizing, training and supporting teachers, especially on the front lines of armed conflict, forced displacement, the climate crisis and other humanitarian catastrophes. According to a recent analysis by our partners UNESCO, 44 million additional teachers are needed to achieve universal primary and secondary education by 2030.

With more funding, we can provide financial incentives to support teachers in war zones and climate disasters around the world. In addition to being affected ourselves, we must also empower them. We can train teachers like Hafsat to address the unique needs of children who have experienced the horrors of war and terror. We can build the policies and systems in countries to ensure gender-inclusive education and encourage students to turn their resilience into power.

And we can work collectively to ensure coordinated and synchronized support at the intersection between humanitarian development and peace, connecting teachers, students and the communities they serve to create a new social contract, based on universal values ​​and universal human rights. Today we honor all teachers in the world’s most difficult situations. Now we must act.

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