Basic education minister Angie Motshekga and her deputy‚ Enver Surty‚ have thanked all teachers who ‘’go above and beyond the call of duty’’.

Wednesday is World Teachers’ Day‚ set aside by the United Nations Educational‚ Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1994 during an intergovernmental conference which dealt with the status of teachers around the globe.

 “It has not been an easy year for many educators across the country‚ who often work under difficult circumstances but still persevere to provide their learners with the best learning opportunities available‚’’ the education department said in a statement.

 “Many teachers have spent countless days and hours during weekdays‚ weekends and school holidays assisting their learners in achieving their goals and becoming the future leaders of the world.’’

 There are 425‚090 educators employed by the department in South Africa to teach more than 12‚6-million children at 25 741 schools.

 Western Cape Education MEC Debbie Schfer said the day should be used to raise awareness‚ understanding and appreciation for the “vital contribution that teachers make to education and development across the world”.

 “The role of a teacher in a child’s life cannot be overemphasised. Teachers have learners in their care for hours every day. What they do‚ what they say and how they conduct themselves influences those children. That is a lot of power that they have in their hands‚’’ said Schfer.

“Being a teacher requires much more than just delivering a quality curriculum for our learners. Many of our teachers have to face on-going challenges such as poverty‚ gang violence‚ abuse and crime. Often our teachers are not recognised for the important roles they play in our schools and the lives of our children. They also often have to stand in for parents‚ who do not all take their parenting responsibilities seriously.’’

TMG Digital