by EuroNews
It’s published
Today is World Teachers’ Day, established in 1994 to commemorate the signing of the Teacher Status Recommendation, created in Paris on October 5th, 1966.
According to UNICEF, teachers are at the heart of quality education, but the industry continues to suffer from underinvestment and low student populations.
According to a 2024 report from the United Nations Children’s Fund, only 31% of countries where effective teacher professional development systems are in place were less than half of the 64% target.
The report shows that the number of out-of-school children and youth (OOSCs) worldwide has been around 265 million over the course of a decade, but the latest estimates show that oos has increased to 272 million in 2023.
According to UNICEF, official development assistance for education (ODA) fell by USD 3.2 billion, down 24% from 2023. This decline will increase the number of schools around the world from 272 million to 278 million worldwide.
“Children should not be deprived of the right to learn and build their future. It means that trained and motivated teachers not only provide knowledge, but also provide protection, hope and opportunity in their lives.”
85 million children are not attending school
Looking at details of children who do not attend school, UNICEF estimates that 234 million children need assistance in accessing quality education. This is an increase of 35 million people over the past three years.
Of these 244 million children, 85 million people don’t attend school at all. 52% are girls, 17% are refugees or internally displaced, and over 20% are children with disabilities.
The situation in Gaza is particularly severe, with 1,4666,000 children facing difficulties in education as of July 2025. By June 2025, 588 school buildings had been affected, of which 538 were in the Gaza Strip (95.4%) and a further 50 people were in the West Bank.
In Sudan, more than 17 million of the 19 million school-age children had graduated from school. In Haiti, gang violence and escalating civil unrest left over more than 1.4 million children in urgent need for educational assistance.
“Investing in teachers means investing in the future,” UNICEF explained that because all teachers are supported, all classrooms are inclusive and that every child around the world will have the opportunity to learn, and that it will continue to work.
“On Teacher Day in this World, I would like to express my gratitude to all teachers and educators who continue to guide their children, even in the most challenging contexts, with courage and commitment,” said Nicola Gragiano of UNICEF Italy.
“It is essential that the government and the international community urgently invest in education, so that every child can rely on the presence of his or her side of teachers, wherever they are.”
