Education stakeholders from across the globe joined the World Teacher’s Day celebration on 3 October 2025 in Addis Ababa in conjunction with the Pan African Conference on Teachers’ Education (PACTED 2025).
Hosted by the African Union, World Teachers’ Day 2025 took place on 3 October in Addis Ababa. The event was co-convened by the Teacher Task Force members UNESCO, the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, and Education International (EI), spotlighting the theme “Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession.”
For the first time in the event’s history, the celebration was held outside of UNESCO and instead in Addis Ababa, hosted by the African Union. Since 1994, World Teacher’s Day has commemorated the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers – the international standard setting out teachers’ rights, responsibilities, and working conditions – as well as the 1997 Recommendation on Higher-Education Teaching Personnel.
Placing collaboration at the forefront of this year's celebration
“On this World Teachers’ Day, UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF and Education International 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.” - joint message by the heads of UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF, and EI
This year’s theme illustrated the power of collaboration in classrooms while continuing to cultivate past themes, such as the teacher shortage, education in conflict zones or hard-to-reach communities, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and advocacy for greater financial investments in education systems.
A ministerial panel, moderated by the African Union, a valued member of the TTF, shared different country-specific examples related to the topic “From isolation to collective strength: Reenvisioning the teaching profession through the lens of collaboration,” ultimately aiming to answer the question: how do successful education systems institutionalize collaboration? Suggested ideas included incorporation of communities of practice, mentoring schemes, and co-teaching initiatives.
The collective sentiment from the event was undisputed: collaboration is an invaluable facet of the future of the teaching profession.
“This year’s theme ‘Recasting teaching as a collaborative profession’ responds to a critical reality. Too many teachers work in isolation without any support that could strengthen their practice and their well-being...Teachers cannot and should not stand alone; that’s why we are here together to celebrate this important date. Teachers matter to all of us.” - Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General
Uncovering new trends in the teaching profession
The event also marked the unveiling of a new fact sheet published by the Teacher Taskforce and UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), which examines global and regional data on teacher workforce growth, training and qualifications, and how collaboration can be fostered throughout a teachers’ career.
At the pre-primary, secondary, and tertiary level, the global teacher workforce has significantly expanded. However, the proportion of trained teachers has declined across all education levels, and student enrolment rates have continued to outpace the growth of teachers. Therefore, the ratio of students to trained teachers is still uneven, further igniting the need for renewed investment in teacher development.
“More advocacy is needed, and this is precisely what this year’s World Teachers’ Day aims to do, to send a strong collective message that the best teacher cannot meet all his or her learners' needs alone. Teaching is a collective endeavor and as such, it demands putting in place the necessary regulatory frameworks to facilitate collaboration in all its dimensions and it also demands allocating teachers and schools dedicated time and space as well as adequate resources, whether, logistical, technological, or financial.” - Valérie Dijoze, UNESCO Programme Specialist
Continuous professional development (CPD) is a key element of the fact sheet as well. Only 14% of low-income countries required CPD, compared to 73% of high-income countries. It is critical to acknowledge this policy and capacity gap that is unevenly impacting opportunities for collaboration. Embracing collective approaches such as team teaching, joint activities across classes, classroom observation with feedback, and collaborative professional learning will be essential for the future of the teaching profession.
Moving forward after World Teachers’ Day 2025
Ideas presented at World Teachers’ Day echoed what was outlined in the Santiago Consensus, the outcome document from the 2025 World Summit on Teachers in Santiago de Chile. Teachers form the foundation of the education system, and investing in their rights and well-being is investing in society.
“We commit fiercely, unapologetically to every child’s right to learn. We commit to holding governments accountable. We commit to defending our profession, its quality, its dignity, its soul. The United Nations Recommendations on the Teaching Profession are our compass. They are clear: Teachers must shape curricula, pedagogy, and policy. Teachers must shape the future. Transformation demands more than consultation. It demands co-creation. Teachers as equal partners.” - EI President Mugwena Maluleke
As evident from the discussions at World Teachers’ Day and evidence from the fact sheet and Santiago Consensus, collaborative practices support teachers in building a professional network, obtaining new competencies and skills, and overall increasing human connection within the profession. Teacher voices must remain included in social and political dialogue in order to develop policies that are actually productive and grounded in classroom realities.
Relevant resources: