Empowering the Architects of the Future: Recognising Teachers on World Teachers’ Day 2025
Every year on October 5, the world takes a moment to acknowledge the essential role of teachers: mentors, guides, and role models who shape not only classrooms, but the future of societies. The theme for this year’s World Teachers’ Day, “Empowering the Architects of the Future: Strengthening Resilience and Building Sustainability,” couldn’t be more apt. It speaks to the important part teachers play in building equitable and sustainable education systems, while the world grapples with everything from climate change and technological disruption to social disparities.
In Kenya, teachers stand at the centre of the education system, supporting millions of learners in urban centres, rural villages, arid counties, and informal settlements, and usually also serving as counsellors, innovators, and community leaders. Teachers’ resilience has been tested multiple times: throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as with curriculum reform processes, and even at times of floods, conflict and drought. Through all of this, teachers have remained committed to the learners with whom they work.
However, teacher empowerment must go beyond words. It requires built-in support that ensures they are properly equipped, motivated, and recognised as professionals who have the capacity to create sustainable change. This means:
– Investing in teacher training and professional development. As the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) approach is rolled out, ongoing training is crucial so teachers can deliver the subject content effectively while also nurturing the critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills which learners need in a rapidly changing world.
– Ensuring decent working conditions. This ranges from earning fair pay to manageable workloads and even safe environments. Supporting teachers’ well-being is necessary to promote resilience. When a teacher feels valued, they are better able to instil confidence and hope in their learners.
– Recognising the voices of teachers in decisions that are made. Teachers are on the front line of education delivery, yet their contributions to the policy table often seem absent. Engagement with teachers is critical to ensure policies are realistic and grounded, and inclusive.
As Kenya mobilises towards the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 4 on inclusive and equitable quality education, teachers will be critical in delivery. Teachers are not just recipients of knowledge, but change agents who enable learners to think critically and act responsibly in order to contribute to sustainable communities.
Usawa Agenda joins the world to honour the tireless work of teachers as we hold the World Teachers’ Day message that teachers are the architects of the future. We also call on all stakeholders (government, civil society, parents, and other actors) to ensure that they invest in teachers. Developing flexible and sustainable education systems requires more than good intentions, and our collective role should be to support and empower the people who stand in front of our children every day.
It is the resilience of teachers that has brought us this far in the education system. And it is teacher empowerment that will determine how much further we can go.
Faith Atieno
Communications Assistant, at Usawa Agenda
