Without more resources, teachers won’t be able to face challenges

To mark World Teachers’ Day today, global organization Educo demands that governments should give more support to teachers, in order to face the new challenges posed by COVID-19.

As explained by Mikel Egibar, Global Education Specialist at the organisation, “Teachers cannot bear all the responsibility alone. Guaranteeing the right to education is the duty of governments. They should therefore support teachers and provide the necessary training and resources so they can do their job. If not, the right to education for many children is at risk, especially those who are in more vulnerable situations”.

Educo recalls that, due to coronavirus, over the last few months, teachers have had to adapt their work almost overnight and they are now managing this new reality with numerous difficulties, but also a high level of personal commitment. “They give classes online and share tasks using social media or applications like Zoom. They even go to the houses of those who cannot get online to give them the materials they need. They are doing everything they can so that children can continue to learn, even if that means working outside their normal working hours and using their own financial resources”, explains Egibar.

It is estimated that at the worst point of the global pandemic, school closures affected 63 million primary and secondary teachers, and 1,500 million students of all different levels, according to UNESCO data. Both during the previous months and now, teachers have continued their educational work, but on top of that they have had to manage the effects of the global pandemic on children. According to Educo, Bangladesh’s country Director Abdul Hamid, “we are not just talking about making sure hygiene measures are followed in the classroom if the school is open. Teachers are also giving students emotional support. Let’s not forget that the students have lived through months of confinement or mobility restrictions and are now anxiously watching the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, which often affects their own families”.

Educo also calls for recognition of the role of teachers during the pandemic, since in addition to facing the same difficulties as the rest of society, they have also continued to work to guarantee the right to education of children, especially the most vulnerable.