World Teachers’ Day will be observed on Monday across Bangladesh, with the government honouring 100 outstanding teachers at the national level for the first time.
Organised by the Ministry of Education, the central celebration and “Guni Shikshak Sammanana” ceremony will take place at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital tomorrow afternoon.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will attend the event as chief guest to hand over Tk2 lakh in cash, crests and certificates of recognition to the awardees, reports BSS.
The Ministry of Education stated that the scope of the national award has increased from 12 to 100 teachers this year to enhance the social status of outstanding teachers and ensure professional recognition.
According to this year’s World Teachers’ Day guidelines issued by the ministry, the day will be observed at all educational institutions as well as at upazila, district and national levels.
The selected teachers represent diverse educational streams spanning primary, secondary (schools and colleges, madrasas and technical institutions) and university-level institutions nationwide.
The awards will be distributed among 10 teachers at the primary level, 20 at the secondary level, 25 at colleges, 20 at general universities, 10 at medical colleges, three at agricultural universities, three at engineering universities, four at science and technology and other specialised universities, and five under the Prime Minister’s special quota.
A national steering committee finalised the 100 recipients from panels prepared by separate search committees formed by the Directorate of Primary Education, Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Directorate of Technical and Madrasa Education, and the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Speaking recently at a briefing, Prime Minister’s Education and Primary and Mass Education Adviser Mahdi Amin noted that while only 12 teachers were honoured at the national level in the past, the current government has brought 100 teachers from every stream of education under the evaluation process for the first time.
He emphasised that teachers sow the seeds of honesty, patriotism and human values among the younger generation to build a self-respecting nation.
He added that the government’s goal is to ensure the social status and professional benefits of teachers while building a research-oriented and practical education system from primary to university level.
Theme and UNESCO history
Commemorating and honouring teachers globally, Bangladesh will observe the day under this year’s theme: “Standing with Teachers: Sixty Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status, Shaping Our Futures.”
World Teachers’ Day has been observed annually since 1994 at the initiative of UNESCO.
The decision to observe October 5 as World Teachers’ Day was taken at the 26th General Conference of UNESCO in Paris in 1993, with the inaugural observance held in 1994.
Different countries began observing the day from 1995, and with UNESCO’s approval, it has since been observed every year under a separate theme.
