Good teachers are essential for the effective functioning of education systems and for improving the quality of learning processes. Consequently, the search for comprehensive and sustainable solutions to the problem of teacher shortages should give central importance to the training, recruitment, deployment and retention of motivated, well-paid and well-resourced professional teachers. We call for adherence to the international recommendations on the status of teachers, 1966 and 1997, which would help the quest for these solutions.

   ...  Although good teaching/learning materials and an environment conducive to active, gender-sensitive ... learning certainly pave the way to the achievement of quality learning outcomes, it is teachers who point learners in the right direction and guide them towards higher levels of knowledge, understanding and personal development. Learning is not an impersonal process but occurs largely through regular, direct interactions between learners and their teachers as well as by means of teachers facilitating learning among learners. Good teachers guide learners in the process of understanding the enormous amount of accumulated knowledge available today, using it constructively, and communicating it effectively. These are serious responsibilities which can only be fulfilled by dedicated professionals who have received specialized training… These challenges -- particularly in today's world of conflict -- underscore society's need for and appreciation of dedicated teachers, who are being called upon to play key roles in preventive education, education for a culture of peace, and education which combats discrimination. Teachers, too, must play a fundamental role in adapting the newer technologies to the learning process in a world in which these technologies, though potentially an empowering force, can lead to widening disparities. Teachers are important agents in using technology to overcome the digital divide and its negative effect on development and to enhance their pupils' prospects for decent work in the future.

   ...  On World Teachers' Day…we invite people from every walk of life to recognize the indispensable, often difficult and self-sacrificing role played by teachers in providing quality education. We pay tribute to all members of the teaching profession, not least to those who are working in the most difficult conditions. We encourage all teachers to take pride in their vocation and to continue working within their chosen profession. Through their unceasing quest for greater knowledge, for improvements in the quality of their teaching and for enhancing the learning outcomes of their pupils, teachers are vivid exemplars of lifelong learning. As we move towards the creation of learning and information societies, the role model provided by teachers is as relevant and important as ever.