World Teachers Day to celebrate high quality teaching

World Teachers Day to celebrate high quality teaching and learning

“Teaching students is way more important than being an All Black coach” - Graham Henry, July 2011 New Zealand is celebrating World Teachers Day today. (Saturday 29 October)

World Teachers Day was established by UNESCO and is marked in over 100 countries.

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa, which represents thousands of teachers in primary and intermediate schools, kindergartens and early childhood centres, believes World Teachers Day is a time to celebrate and value New Zealand’s high quality education system.

The OECD has described New Zealand as a “top-performing” country in education.

New Zealand’s early learning centres and schools are rated among the top handful in the world while our students are among the top five readers, and also do very well in maths and science.

NZEI President Ian Leckie says “there is fantastic teaching and learning going on in our classrooms and early childhood centres every day, inspired and driven by thousands of passionate and dedicated teachers”.

“World Teachers Day is an opportunity to showcase that and recognise the contribution and the difference that teachers make,” he says.

“There’s not a teacher in New Zealand who doesn’t want a better future for children and we need investment in education which acknowledges the diversity of our learners and meets the needs of every child”.

Teachers, parents, and children from schools and early childhood centres will be taking part in World Teachers Day events around the country.

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