World Teachers' Day 2025: World Teachers' Day, observed annually on October 5, celebrates educators worldwide and acknowledges their vital role in shaping education systems. The day marks the anniversary of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers, which outlines international benchmarks on teachers' rights, responsibilities, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions. Complementing this, the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel extends similar standards to university-level educators. World Teachers' Day has been celebrated since 1994.
Teacher Support and growth
The day is not only an occasion to celebrate teachers' contributions but also to reflect on the support they need to fully exercise their skills and vocation. It provides an opportunity to rethink the global trajectory of the teaching profession and the systems that sustain it.
Global Partnerships
World Teachers' Day is co-convened by UNESCO in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, and Education International (EI). On the occasion of the 2025 celebrations, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, ILO Director-General Gilbert F.
Houngbo, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, and EI General Secretary David Edwards in a joint message said, "On this World Teachers' Day, we call on governments, partners, and the international community to make a collective commitment to ensuring that collaboration is recognized as a norm within the teaching profession - because it is only through effective cooperation at all levels that we can build truly inclusive, equitable, and resilient education systems worldwide."
2025 Theme: Recasting Teaching as Collaborative
Teachers are the central force in driving learning, inclusion, and innovation in schools and societies. Yet, many operate in isolation, lacking structures that support collaboration, professional growth, and well-being. Fragmented systems limit networking opportunities with peers, mentors, and school leaders, impacting both teaching quality and teacher retention.
This year, celebrations revolve around the theme "Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession", emphasising the transformative power of teamwork in education. Policies, practices, and environments that promote mutual support, shared expertise, and joint responsibility are essential to strengthen teaching, improve learning outcomes, and enhance teachers' professional fulfilment.
World Teachers' Day 2025 calls on education systems worldwide to embrace collaboration as a core principle, ensuring teachers are empowered, supported, and recognised for their indispensable role in shaping societies.