Dear Colleagues, 

On 5 October 2001, Education International and UNESCO will jointly celebrate the 8th anniversary of World Teachers' Day. Just to remind you, this day was created in 1994 by UNESCO so that the contributions and achievements of teachers, as well as their concerns and priorities, will be the focus of the world's attention over a 24-hour period. 

There is no question that teachers should be honoured with their own day of celebration. However, in order for such a celebration to be successful, it is vital that you, teachers and representatives of education personnel, take an active part in order to ensure its success and visibility. It is for this reason that we call upon you to begin preparing today, so that nobody in the world remains unaware that 5 October is World Teachers' Day. 

The slogan for this year's World Teachers' Day, chosen jointly by Education International and UNESCO, is "Qualified Teachers for Quality Education". It encompasses the dual themes of teachers as indispensable to providing quality education and teachers as fundamental in helping governments meet their commitments to the follow up of recent world conferences in education (i.e. Dakar Forum, UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education). 

Every discussion on quality education has to relate to teachers. Education is to a large extent a matter of a learning process, which takes place through the interaction between teacher and student. When this process works well, real learning takes place. The clear conclusion is that quality education requires quality teachers. This highlights the significance of acknowledging teaching as a profession, rather than as something anyone can do. 

In order to help you organise a large number of activities at local and national level, EI will produce an eye-catching informational poster to be mailed out in August. EI and UNESCO will once again produce a wide range of products centred on the theme of this year's WTD. Some of the projects being finalised include press releases, contacts with various international media and (inter)-governmental institutions, a joint declaration by United Nations agencies. Further information will be disseminated during our Third World Congress. 

Do not hesitate to contact Lisa DuMouchel in the Information department at lisa.dumouchel@ei-ie.org with all your request for additional information or to provide us with information concerning your planned activities. We would also encourage you to consult the websites of EI (http://www.ei-ie.org) and the UNESCO Education Department on regular basis, in order to follow the development of the "5 October" campaign. Together, we must work to ensure that the voices of teachers are heard throughout the world on 5 October. Education International and UNESCO would already like to wish you a happy and successful World Teachers' Day. 

Yours sincerely


Fred van Leeuwen
General Secretary