World Teachers Day celebration in Tonga
21 October 2023
The Hon Prime Minister, Hu’akavameiliku, and Minister for Education and Training was Guest of honour at the 2023 World Teachers’ Day celebration at the Queen Salote Memotial Hall on Friday 20 October, 2023.
World Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year on the 5th of October since 1994. The benchmarks regarding the rights, responsibilities of teachers, standard of their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, teaching and learning conditions has been adopted by UNESCO/ILO in 1966 and later in 1997 the benchmarks covering teaching personnel in Higher Education which complements the former adoption.
The theme for this year’s celebration is for “Teachers we need for the education we want. The Global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage.”
The Hon Hu’akavameiliku told teachers that they are celebrating how they transform education and wishes to reflect on the support that they all need to fully deploy their talent and vocation and to re-think the way ahead for the profession in Tonga.
“Here in Tonga we need to make teaching the most attractive, sought after and the profession that our students most aspire to do by consistently becoming the best role models in their lives, instill the love of teaching and showcasing the privilege of changing their lives for the better. “
“This would not only raise in Tonga future smart Faiako Ma’a Tonga who display our core values of Mamahi’i Me’a, Faka’apa’apa, Lototoo and Feveitokai’aki to the highest level but also support the Global movement to reverse the shortage of teachers. “
He mentioned that the Ministry and the Education stakeholders would look closely into the challenges that teachers of Tonga faced and support them so that our families, Education Systems and society displayed that teachers are more valued, trusted and adequately supported to meet their needs and those of every learner in Tonga.
He stated that the Ministry is working to make sure the curriculum is fit for purpose, that it focuses on skills that students need for the 21st century.
“We are completing the review of curriculum for Class 1 to Form 2. We also have secured funding (14 million Pa’anga) to review and amend the curriculum and assessment for Form 3-7. And of course the courses offered at TNU have to be amended to reflect what we want our students to learn.”
“So teachers, yes we have a lot of challenges ahead of us, but we are also working to address them. But we need your help. Without your support those challenges will be harder to overcome, and what we want for our students may not be attainable.”
He emphasized the importance to reflect on key roles that teachers play and how they can change these students lives, and re-dedicate their lives to be a Faiako Ma’a Tonga, shaping the destination of our Kingdom.
