“Teacher? We prefer the term the Educational Rockstar!”
(Students from California)

Teacher’s Day in Ukraine is annually celebrated on the first Sunday of October.  In 2019, the holiday falls on October 6, however, students most often congratulate teachers on Friday, preceding the first Sunday.  This year, poems and congratulations to teachers will be heard on October 4.

The very idea of   celebrating a teacher’s day originated in the XIX century – then in different countries there was a tradition to devote holidays to outstanding figures of education.  The official holiday World Teachers Day appeared in 1994, it was introduced by UNESCO and falls on October 5.  It is part of the system of the world and international days of the UN.  At the same time, in the republics of the USSR, Teacher’s Day has been celebrated since 1965.

Teacher is one of the oldest, most complex, and most responsible professions in the world.

Now every year on October 5, teachers’ day is celebrated in Russia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Armenia.  While in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Teachers’ Day is celebrated at the same time as in Ukraine.  In other countries, different dates for teachers’ holidays are accepted, but most of them fall in the fall.

Facts About The Teacher Profession:

1. A teacher is considered one of the oldest professions. The first educational institutions appeared in the countries of the Ancient East (China, India, Babylon, Assyria) as early as the 4th-5th millennium BC.  e.
2. In ancient Greece, teachers were called slaves, whose care in Athenian families was entrusted to boys from the age of seven. The duties of the teacher were to protect the pupil from physical and moral dangers, and before the boy entered school, elementary literacy was also taught.
3. In Kievan Rus after the adoption of Christianity in 988, Prince Vladimir founded a school in Kyiv for children of the upper layers of Ukrainian society. The record in the annals of 988 indicates that Vladimir began “brothers from noble people of children and donations for the teaching of the book.” The concept of “school” came into use only in the fourteenth century; therefore, this word is used conditionally with respect to the educational institution of Vladimir.
4. Literacy schools in Kievan Rus were opened at churches and held at the expense of secular people. They taught children of boyars, merchants, money lenders, wealthy artisans. The teachers were clergy.
5. The granddaughter of Yaroslav the Wise – Anna Vsevolodovna – opened the first women’s school in Europe at the St. Andrew’s Monastery in 1086 to educate women from noble families.
6. During the time of the Russian Empire, almost all the achievements of Ukraine in the educational field were lost. In the middle of the XIX century, the vast majority of the population remained illiterate – more than 90% of the population of Ukraine.
7. The largest number of students in Brazil, where on average there are 32 students per teacher, while in Portugal – only seven.
8. The Global Teacher Status Index 2013 study report showed that teachers in China enjoy the most respect in the world. Great Britain and the USA were in the middle of the ranking. The lowest position among 21 OECD countries that participated in the survey was taken by Israel, where teachers are the least respected, based on the report.
9. The United States government provides the most money for education ($ 809 billion), followed by Japan ($ 160 billion), Germany ($ 154 billion), Brazil ($ 146 billion), France ($ 123 billion) and the United Kingdom (123 billion dollars).
10. The average age of teachers varies as follows: the maximum is in Italy (48.9 years), Estonia (47.9 years), Bulgaria (47.4 years), and younger teachers enjoy their professional lives in schools in Malaysia (38.9) , Abu Dhabi (38.7) and Singapore (36).

It is never late to join the ranks of teachers. “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill the love of learning.” (B.Henry). What do you think about it, my dear University-mates?