Thank you, teachers!

This World Teachers Day, we are celebrating the unwavering commitment teachers have to their students. Teachers have gone above and beyond to help children continue learning during this difficult period.

1.5 billion learners around the world were sent home to learn when the coronavirus pandemic hit and shut school doors.

The crisis has demonstrated that schools are not just four walls for learning, but a place that brings to life the realisation of the rights of every child. From nutrition to health to child protection, school closures have had significant consequences for children, beyond lost learning.

A photo story

Click the arrow to see how teachers in different countries have managed to go above and beyond for their students.

UGANDA
Teacher Irene from a school in Kampala hosted a new TV show created to help Ugandan children learn at home with their families. Today's focus is science!
© Unicef/DeJongh/AFP
BOLIVIA
Mr Negrete rode his bicycle for several kilometres each day to provide lessons for his students at their homes so they didn’t miss out on learning.
© Unicef/Gacad/AFP
ENGLAND
Mr Plumley’s school in Slough is part of Unicef UK’s Rights Respecting School Award. He and his fellow colleagues delivered home learning packs to students unable to access the internet and care packages to families most in need at the beginning of lockdown.

“Coming back, one of our main concerns was the impact the pandemic is having on the children’s mental health and wellbeing, so we made a conscious decision that the pupils’ mental health and wellbeing would be at the centre of everything we did after the holidays,” he says.
SYRIA
Walid is a volunteer teacher at the Kili internally displaced camp in Idlib, Syria. While the Unicef-supported education tents are closed, teachers like Walid are doing their best to keep in contact with students.

“Teachers here created Whatsapp groups to connect us to our students. With the help of their parents they can follow the lessons and even send us back questions,” says Walid.
UKRAINE
Alla has been doing her dream job – teaching children – for over 30 years.

“Our team has never stopped teaching children, even under shelling,” says Alla, who works at a school near the ‘contact line’ in eastern Ukraine.

“When the Covid-19 pandemic started, we transferred all the classes to Zoom,” she says. “But in addition to online lessons, I always tried to explain any difficult questions by phone, met with parents and helped with the installation of education software.”
IRAN
When schools closed in Iran, students continued to learn through digital devices but for those with no access to the internet, this could have meant missing their studies. In Ahvaz, Ms Kazemi taught students who needed support in a local house so they could continue learning.
CAMBODIA
Sisters Nha Nha and Sopheap are doing their work during a live streaming lesson with their teacher.

With equipment loans and subsidies for families, Cambodian schools used streaming apps so students could continue studying from the safety of their homes. Unicef is working with the Government to help reopen schools safely.
CÔTE D'IVOIRE
Teacher Cisse and his students are back to school in Côte d'Ivoire.

He says: "The joy on the faces of my students made me happy this morning. Even behind their mask I saw how happy they were that the classes resumed.”
PAKISTAN
8-year-old Hamna from Pakistan is one of thousands of children around the world expressing their appreciation for their teachers and all they have done through this crisis.

Education at the heart of recovery

It has become clear that education systems around the world are not as resilient as hoped, often unprepared to deal with large scale disruption. As the impacts of climate change are increasingly felt, it is critical that education systems are built to withstand the impacts we know are coming.

That’s why we’re calling on the UK Government to commit to these 7 principles of quality education that will help get every child learning.

Will you Retweet our message to the UK Government? Share now.