Teachers are considered to be the most important people in the world as their role is to train people in different occupations and professional fields.
As a matter of fact, they are referred to as second parents because they spend so much time with the children and they mould their behaviour.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) proclaimed the 5th of October to be World Teacher’s Day in 1994.
This was to celebrate the greatest step made for teachers on 5th October in 1966, when a special intergovernmental conference convened by UNESCO in Paris adopted the UNESCO /ILA recommendation concerning the status of teachers in cooperation with the International Labour Organisation(ILO).
In Kenya, there are approximately 113,200 registered teachers as of a recent census. Among these are teachers with disabilities, who received a special bill that stated their added privileges.
The privileges included a facilitative allowance of KSH15,000 after they register with the National Council of Persons With Disabilities (NCPWD).
Their retirement age was extended to 65 and their workstations provided with disability-friendly structures like ramps.
During this day, most students carry gifts to the school and give their teachers. It does not only show that the children know about appreciation for those who deserve it, but it also shows that the teachers have done proper work moulding the students into people with good behaviours.
In some schools, the management organises a celebration where the teachers are given a day to remember as they feast on the prepared delicacies.
In the previous year, UNESCO organised two separate events to mark World Teacher’s Day at Kenyatta University and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development.
It was graced by UNESCO’s Regional Director for East Africa, Prof. Hubert Gijzen who highlighted the important role teachers play in the education system of any country and the need to carter for their needs in terms of professional development and welfare.
BY CATHERINE NYAMBURA