World Teachers’ Day is observed every year on October 5 to honour teachers and to reflect on the support and conditions they need to do their work well. The date is recognised and observed formally by UNESCO and its partners, and celebrations or commemorations take place in more than a hundred countries each year. The day is celebrated through events across ministries of education in countries, school-level activities, conferences and social media campaigns that spotlight teachers’ roles and needs. When and how it began: October 5 and the 1966 recommendation The reason October 5 was chosen is institutional and symbolic: the day commemorates the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, a joint international instrument that set global benchmarks on teachers’ rights and responsibilities, teacher preparation, recruitment, working conditions and further education. Assam teacher travels 150 km daily through National Park to school, wins National Teachers Award That Recommendation, negotiated between the International Labour Organization and UNESCO, became the anchor for a global day to recognise the profession. UNESCO officially designated the first World Teachers’ Day in 1994, and the date has been used each year since then to mark the anniversary of the 1966 Recommendation. The 1966 Recommendation is not a law but a guiding international standard intended to help governments and education systems frame policies for teacher recruitment, pre-service and in-service training, employment conditions and the professional status of teachers. Over the decades it has been the reference point for discussions about pay, workload, teacher education and how states should support the profession. UNESCO and partner agencies continue to use the recommendations when calling for policy change and investment in teachers. How the day evolved and the role of institutions UNESCO co-convenes World Teachers’ Day together with the International Labour Organization, UNICEF and Education International; together these organisations bring a labor-rights, child-rights and trade-union perspective to the celebrations and policy dialogue. Since 1994 the day has grown from commemorative school-level activities to global events that include ministerial panels, regional conferences and thematic campaigns that aim to influence national education policy. In recent years UNESCO has used the day not only to celebrate teachers but also to spotlight systemic problems — teacher shortages, professional isolation, low pay, limited professional development — and to advance concrete policy conversations. The 2025 theme: Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession — what it means The 2025 global theme, as set out by UNESCO and its partners, is “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession.” The emphasis is on shifting the dominant model in many systems from isolated classrooms and individual labour toward structures and policies that enable regular collaboration: team planning, peer mentoring, shared professional development, school leadership that supports collective practice, and formal time and incentives for teachers to work together. The theme, according to the UNESCO argues that collaboration is not merely a nicety but a lever for better learning outcomes, improved teacher well-being and stronger retention. For policymakers and education managers, the theme highlights a set of practical changes: creating schedules that allow joint lesson planning, embedding mentorship into early-career teacher support, revising inspection and accountability systems so they reward collective improvement rather than individual performance, and funding professional learning communities. How theme resonates with India In the Indian context the move to view teaching as a collaborative profession has particular resonance because of the scale and diversity of classrooms, the pressure on individual teachers to cover large syllabuses, and persistent gaps in ongoing professional development. Recasting teaching for India means more than occasional workshops: it requires structural shifts such as providing protected time within the school day for teachers to plan together, investing in district and state-level teacher support centres that sustain mentorship networks. Indian Teachers’ Day in September India’s national Teachers’ Day is observed every year on September 5, and its origin is distinct from the UN-observed World Teachers’ Day. September 5 marks the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the scholar, philosopher and statesman who served as India’s first Vice-President and its second President. Teachers’ Day 2025: Why India celebrates September 5 When colleagues and students asked him how they might celebrate his birthday, he suggested that the day would be better observed as a day to honour teachers and the teaching profession; his birthday was thereafter adopted as Teachers’ Day in India. The gesture reflected Radhakrishnan’s lifelong identity as an academic and his belief in the centrality of education to democratic citizenship. Commemorations on September 5 in India typically blend affection and ceremony: schools hold assemblies where students perform and pay tribute, awards are given to distinguished teachers, and education departments release statements and reports. Whereas World Teachers’ Day is an instrument for global policy dialogue and standards, India’s Teachers’ Day is primarily a cultural and national observance that centres on gratitude and the public recognition of educators; both observances, however, reinforce the public’s awareness of the profession’s central role. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan — scholar, teacher and statesman Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a philosopher of religion and comparative philosophy whose academic career spanned universities in India and the United Kingdom. He wrote widely on Indian thought, ethics and comparative religion, and was best known for presenting Indian philosophical traditions to Western audiences while arguing for a humane, ethical grounding to modern education and public life. His own identity as a teacher was public and formative: even as he held diplomatic and presidential office, Radhakrishnan’s self-description as an educator shaped the moral authority with which he spoke about national life and the formation of citizens. The decision to mark his birthday as Teachers’ Day therefore recognises teaching as a life vocation and elevates the public standing of the profession.
