| Country |
Date of Teachers' Day |
Notes |
| Afghanistan |
Oct 5 |
Schools have a holiday, but students and teachers gather to
celebrate at schools with special traditional food, cookies, music and
presents for the teachers |
| Albania |
March 7 |
In 1887, the first secular school which taught lessons in Albanian was opened on this day in the small city of Korçë.
All schools had previously functioned under the supervision of the
Catholic Church in northern and middle Albania; the Orthodox Church in
the south did not allow any Albanian schools. |
| Algeria |
February 28 |
|
| Argentina |
September 11 |
To honour the memory & work of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, who died on this date in 1888, in Asuncion, Paraguay. |
| Armenia |
October 5 |
Until quite recently, Armenia celebrated the Teacher's Day on the
first Sunday of October. But under a parliament decision to amend the
law on the Republic of Armenia Holidays and Commemoration Days, the
holiday was shifted to October 5.[4] |
| Australia |
Last Friday in October |
On Australia’s celebration of World Teachers’ Day, the NEiTA
Foundation and the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) is proud to
announce the national teaching recipients of the ASG Community Merit
Awards. World Teachers’ Day was started by UNESCO and is celebrated in
more than 100 countries around the world each year. On its 40th
anniversary this year, it represents a significant token of the
awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the contribution
that teachers make to education. |
| Azerbaijan |
October 5 |
Between 1965 and 1994, the first Sunday of October. Since 1994, on
October 5, it has coincided with the World Teachers' Day (est. 1994 by
UNESCO). |
| Bangladesh |
October 4 |
Schools don't have a holiday if it's not a weekly one. Students
greet teacher and often send cards and presents. Teachers usually don't
teach them from the books, those who do this share their experiences
with the students. Students often try to surprise their teachers with
anything they can think of. |
| Belarus |
First Sunday of October |
|
| Brunei Darussalam |
September 23 |
To commemorate the birth date of the 28th ruler of Brunei, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III,
also known as the 'Architect of Modern Brunei' who amongst others had
emphasized the importance of education to his subjects by introducing a
policy of 'free' education whereby the citizens are charged very nominal
fees for attending schools. This policy has now been followed by the
current 29th ruler who has since extended the policy further. |
| Bhutan |
May 2 |
Established and marked on the birth anniversary of the third King of Bhutan, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, who introduced modern education to the country. |
| Bolivia |
June 6 |
|
| Brazil |
October 15 |
A decree regulating the elementary schools in Brazil. The
celebration gained popularity throughout the country, and October 15 was
officially designated Teachers' Day in 1963. |
| Bulgaria |
October 5 |
On 29.09.2006, October 5 was recognised as Teacher's Day by the government.[5] |
| Cameroon |
October 5 |
Teachers in Cameroon on Tuesday October 5, 2010 joined the rest of
their peers worldwide to celebrate the 17th edition of the World
Teachers Day. Placed under the theme, “Nation building passes through
teachers”, the day served as an opportunity to pay homage to teachers
who toil, sometimes under not-so-comfortable conditions, to build the
capacities of human resources for the socio-economic development of the
country. Commemorative activities in Yaounde that began in September 29
with educative talks at the Lycée Général Leclerc had round off on
Tuesday at the Wada multi-purpose sports complex. |
| Canada |
October 5 |
|
| Chile |
October 16 |
In 1967, September 11 was chosen as "Día del Maestro" ("Teacher's
Day"). The date was moved to December 10 in 1975, because on that day in
1945, the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral received the Nobel Prize.
In 1977, the date was renamed to "Día del Profesor" (also "Teacher's
Day") and was moved again, to October 16, to honour the founding of the
Colegio de Profesores de Chile (Teachers' Association of Chile).[6] |
| Colombia |
May 15 |
This day marks the appointment of San Juan Bautista de la Salle
as the patron of teachers. In 1950, Pope Pius XII granted his approval
of La Salle as patron of teachers for championing the causes of modern
education. The holy founder understood the education of children as the
obligation of all. Usually the schools of his time (1651–1719) only
accepted young people studying towards politics or diplomacy. Juan
Bautista outlined the principles of free and universal education. That
same year in Colombia, the President of the Republic declared that date
as Teachers' Day. |
| Costa Rica |
November 22 |
|
| China |
September 10 |
In the People's Republic of China
(PRC), there are some activities for students to show their
appreciation to teachers, such as presenting gifts, including cards and
flowers. In addition, many former students will go back to their old
middle schools and high schools to give presents to their old teachers.
The government first proclaimed Teachers' Day in 1985, but has never
clearly explained why it should fall on September 10. Some people
believe it was an arbitrary choice and have proposed to change it to
September 28, which is believed to be Confucius's birthday. On Sep. 5, 2013, the State Council announced a legislative draft endorsing the change. If adopted, it would effectively make mainland China and Taiwan share the same Teachers' Day beginning in 2014. Taiwan has observed September 28 as Teachers' Day since the 1950s.[7] |
| Czech Republic |
March 28 |
The birthday of John Amos Comenius. Czech students nominate the teachers whose approach most motivates and inspires them to the competition Zlatý Ámos (Golden Amos). The coronation of "Golden Amos" take place yearly on March 28.[8][9] |
| Ecuador |
April 13 |
Celebrated on this date in honour of Juan Montalvo, an Ecuadorian teacher who planted the seeds of development in young minds. |
| Egypt |
February 28 |
|
| El Salvador |
June 22 |
Observed as a national holiday.[10][11] |
| Estonia |
October 5 |
In Estonia last class students grant leave to teachers by conducting lessons themselves. |
| Germany |
October 5 |
|
| Greece |
January 30 |
Derived from the Eastern Orthodox faith when the Three Holy Hierarchs and Ecumenical Teachers (Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom) are commemorated. |
| Guatemala |
June 25 |
A celebration in honour of the teacher Maria Chinchilla who died during a violent riot in protest against the government. |
| Honduras |
September 17 |
Celebration in honour of the life of José Trinidad Reyes |
| Hong Kong |
September 10[citation needed] |
Before the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997, Teachers' Day was on September 28. After the handover to the People's Republic of China, the day was changed to September 10, which is when the PRC celebrates the holiday.[citation needed] |
| Hungary |
First Sunday of June |
|
| India |
September 5 |
The birthdate, [5 September 1888], of the second President of India, academic philosopher Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
It is considered a "celebration" day, where teachers and students
report to school as usual but the usual activities and classes are
replaced by activities of celebration, thanks and remembrance. At some
schools on this day, the responsibility of teaching is taken up by the
senior students to show appreciation for their teachers. Students
celebrate by bringing cakes, candles, gifts,and many more.
In Karnataka State, this day is called as "Shikshakara Dinacharane" in Kannada.
In Andhra Pradesh state, this day is called as "Guru Pujothsavam" in Telugu.
in Tamil Nadu State, this day is called "Aasiriyar dhinam" which literally means Teachers day in Tamil.
Another day set aside for commemorating teachers in India and Nepal is Guru Purnima, also called 'Ashad sukla purnima'. It typically falls in mid-July. |
| Indonesia |
November 25 |
National Teachers' Day is commemorated on the same day as the
formation of the Indonesian Teachers' Association, the PGRI. National
Teachers' Day is not a holiday, but it is celebrated by having a
ceremonial activity in recognition of certain teachers, headmasters and
other school staff. |
| Iran |
May 2 |
Commemorating the martyrdom of Abulhassan Khan'ali, a teacher who was shot dead in a meeting in front of National Parliament during the Mohammad Rezā Shāh era on May 2, 1961. Later the Islamic Republic government changed it to commemorate the martyrdom of Dr. Morteza Motahhari on May 2, 1979. |
| Israel |
23 Kislev |
|
| Jamaica |
May 6 |
Teachers' Day is normally celebrated on May 6 or the first Wednesday in May.[12]
In celebration of Teachers' Day, it is common for students and parents
to bring teachers gifts. In addition, most schools are closed early
(half-day). |
| Jordan |
February 28 |
|
| Laos |
October 7 |
|
| Latvia |
The first Sunday of October.[13] |
In fact, within schools, Teacher's day is celebrated on 1st Friday
of October. Usually, part of classes that date are canceled or conducted
by elder grade pupil, while teachers are greeted. |
| Lebanon |
March 9 |
Between March 3 and March 9. |
| Libya |
February 28 |
|
| Lithuania |
October 5 |
Between 1965 and 1994, the first Sunday of October. Since 1994, on
October 5, to coincide with the World Teachers' Day (est. 1994 by
UNESCO). |
| Macedonia |
October 5 |
|
| Malaysia |
May 16 |
This date was chosen because on the same day in 1956, the Federal Legislative Council of the Federation of Malaya endorsed the Razak Report, one of four reports of the Education Committee regarding education in Malaysia. The document, known as the Razak Report after Tun Abdul Razak
who was Education Minister at the time, has been the basis of education
in Malaysia ever since. Although it is not an official school holiday,
celebrations are usually held on May 16, or earlier, if it falls on a
Saturday or Sunday. |
|
| Maldives |
October 5 |
On October 5 Schools in Maldives celebrate teachers day with many
activities, among them children and students will give parcels and gifts
to teachers. |
| Mauritius |
October 5 |
|
| Mexico |
May 15 |
On May 15 (known as Dia Del Maestro) schools in Mexico are supposed
to stop normal activities and organize cultural events that promote the
importance and dignity of the teachers’ role in society. In reality some
schools operate as usual and others take the day off.
The first Teacher’s Day was celebrated on May 15, 1918. The date of
May 15 was proposed at the Mexican Congress on September 27, 1917,
approved on October 29, 1917 and published on December 5, 1917. There
are several possible origins for choosing this date. The first one
mentions that in the city of San Luis Potosí every May 15, a group of
students gathered to celebrate the birthday of their old teacher
Isidore. This teacher was named after Saint Isidore the Laborer,
following the Mexican tradition of naming children according the Saint
celebrated the day they were born. The second origin considers the
celebration of a historic event in the city of Querétaro on May 15,
1867.[14] |
| Republic of Moldova |
October 5 |
|
| Mongolia |
First weekend of February |
|
| Morocco |
February 28 |
|
| Nepal |
Full moon day of nepali month Ashad |
The full moon day is also called 'Ashad sukla purnima' and the day
usually falls in mid-July. Teacher's day is called "Guru Purnima" in
Nepali, where "Guru" means teacher and "Purnima" means "Full Moon".
Celebrating "Guru Purnima" is very old tradition and it is related with
ancient Hindu tradition. Among Hindus, the person who teaches "Mantras"
during "Bratabandh ceremony" is considered as the real "Guru".
Students pay homage to the teachers, offer them foods and flowers and
receive blessings from the teacher. "Gurudevo bhava" a Sanskrit phrase
meaning "Be a person for whom the teacher is God" is still widely
accepted. Teachers are given the highest degree of respect. |
| Netherlands |
October 5[15] |
|
| New Zealand |
October 29 |
In 2010 teachers were encouraged to march against recent cuts in government funding by marching in Auckland on Sunday 31st. |
| Oman |
February 28 |
|
| Pakistan |
October 5 |
It recognizes the importance of teachers and attributes progress to the quality of teachers in Pakistan's Educational System. |
| Panama |
December 1 |
To commemorate the birth date of Manuel José Hurtado, who is known
as the father of Panamanian education due to his promotion of modern
universal education through the establishment of the first public
schools and teachers' colleges in what is now known as Panama— then part of Colombia
- aiming to break the vicious cycle of ignorance and poverty that
afflicted the vast majority of the population. He went on to be named
Director-General of Public Instruction of the State of the Isthmus.[16] |
| Paraguay |
April 30 |
|
| Peru |
July 6 |
During the independence of Peru, libertador don José de San Martín founded the first Normal School for Men by means of a resolution passed by Marquis of Torre-Tagle on July 6, 1822.
Many years later, on 1953, the then president Manuel A. Odría decided that Teachers' Day would be commemorated on the 6th of July.[17] |
| Philippines |
October 5 |
By Presidential Proclamation No. 479[18] to honour more than 500,000 teachers nationwide. However, in the Philippines
Teachers' Day is actually celebrated in schools between the months of
September and October (mainly elementary and secondary levels). Teachers
are presented with orchid corsages by students. Groups of students
representing various grade levels perform short skits or song and dance
numbers, or read poetry for their teachers in front of fellow
schoolmates in school-wide activities. These activities are planned by
senior students in the Student Council who coordinate the activities
well in advance.
For Filipino-Chinese
schools, a program is usually organized by students for teachers on
September 27, while September 28, considered as the actual Teachers'
Day, is a school holiday where both teachers and students are allowed to
rest. September 28 was chosen because it is known as the birthdate of
famous Chinese philosopher Confucius.[19] |
| Poland |
October 14 |
This day is the anniversary of the creation of the Commission of National Education, created in 1773 through the initiative of King Stanisław August Poniatowski.
Normally flowers and sweets will be given to teachers by kids. School
play and activities can be also scheduled by student body. |
| Kuwait |
October 5 |
|
| Qatar |
October 5 |
|
| Romania |
|
| Russia |
October 5 |
Between 1965 and 1994, the first Sunday of October. Since 1994, on
October 5, coincides with the World Teachers' Day (est. 1994 by UNESCO). |
| Saudi Arabia |
February 28 |
|
| Serbia |
October 5 |
|
| Singapore |
First Friday of September |
An official school holiday. Celebrations are normally conducted the
day before, where students usually get half a day off. In some schools,
students will put on performances to entertain and honour their
teachers. |
| Slovakia |
March 28 |
Commemorates the birthdate of John Amos Comenius. |
| South Korea |
May 15 since 1963 in Seoul and 1964 in Chunju City |
Originally it was started by a group of Red Cross youth team members
who visited their sick ex-teachers in hospitals. At start its date was
May 26. But from 1965, the date has changed to May 15, dated after Sejong the Great's birthday.[20]
The national celebration ceremony was stopped between 1973 and 1982 but
it resumed after that. On the day, teachers are usually presented with carnations by their students. Ex-students pay their respects to their former teachers by visiting them and giving them a carnation.
Many schools now close on Teachers' Day because of the rampant bribery
implicit in the expensive gifts often given to teachers. Schools can use
the day to have an outing for the teachers. |
| South Sudan |
December 1 (2011-12); October 1 (2013-) |
The president of South Sudan proclaimed Teacher's Day for December
1st, one month before the country's first Teacher's Day. On September
1st, one month before the country's third Teacher's Day, it was publicly
announced that they changed the date to October 1st. |
| Sri Lanka |
October 6 |
Its Officially the Teachers' Day in Sri Lanka on 6 October, every
school celebrate the special day. the teachers are Given with surprised
gifts on that day by their students. |
| Spain |
January 29 |
|
| Syria |
March 18[citation needed] |
|
| Taiwan |
September 28 |
Taiwan uses this day to honour teachers' contributions to their own
students and to society in general. People often make use of the day to
express their gratitude to their teachers, such as paying them a visit
or sending them a card. This date was chosen to commemorate the birth of
Confucius, believed to be the model master educator in ancient China. In 1939, the Ministry of Education established the national holiday as August 27, the attributed birthday of Confucius.
In 1952, the Executive Yuan changed it to September, stating that it was calculated to be the precise date in the Gregorian calendar.
The festival celebration occurs in the temples of Confucius around the
island, known as the "Grand Ceremony Dedicated to Confucius" (祭孔大典). The
ceremony begins at 6am with drum
beats. 54 musicians are dressed in robes with blue belts, and 36 (or
64) dancers dressed in yellow with green belts. They are led by
Confucius's chief descendant (currently Kung Tsui-chang)
and followed by ceremonial officers. Three animals: cow, goat and pig
are sacrificed. The hairs plucked from these sacrificed animals are
called the Hairs of Wisdom. In addition, local education institutes and
civil offices award certain teachers for their excellence and positive
influence. |
| Thailand |
January 16 |
Adopted as Teachers' Day in Thailand
by a resolution of the government on November 21, 1956. The first
Teachers' Day was held in 1957. January 16 marks the enactment of the
Teachers Act, Buddhist Era 2488 (1945), which was published in the Government Gazette
on January 16, 1945, and came into force 60 days later. Most Thai
schools close for the day to give their teachers a break during the long
second term. Many international schools do not, although they may hold
celebrations to honour their teaching staff. There are very few public
or official commemorations. |
| Tunisia |
February 28 |
|
| Turkey |
November 24 |
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk thought and stated that "The new generation will be created by teachers." . Atatürk was also considered as the Prime Teacher (Turkish: Başöğretmen), because he adopted a new alphabet for the newly founded Turkish Republic in 1923. |
| Ukraine |
The first Sunday of October |
At schools across the country, Teacher's Day is celebrated the
Friday before the holiday with "concerts" and gatherings, while students
usually give their teachers gifts such as flowers and chocolate. On the
holiday itself, many teachers celebrate with their families and friends
at home or at restaurants or cafes. |
| United Arab Emirates |
February 28 |
|
| United Kingdom |
October 5 |
|
| United States |
National Teacher Day is on Tuesday during Teacher Appreciation Week,
which takes place in the first full week of May (May 6, 2014) |
Students often show appreciation for their teachers with gifts or writing thank you cards. The National Education Association
describes National Teacher Day as "a day for honouring teachers and
recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives".[21]
The NEA gives a history of National Teacher Day:[21]
The origins of Teacher Day are murky. Around 1944 Wisconsin teacher
Ryan Krug began corresponding with political and education leaders about
the need for a national day to honour teachers. Woodbridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress
to proclaim a National Teacher Day. NEA along with its Kansas and
Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan. ) local lobbied
Congress to create a national day celebrating teachers. Congress
declared March 7, 1980, as National Teacher Day for that year only. NEA
and its affiliates continued to observe Teacher Day on the first Tuesday
in March until 1985, when the National PTA established Teacher
Appreciation Week as the first full week of May. The NEA Representative
Assembly then voted to make the Tuesday of that week National Teacher
Day.
As of September 7, 1976, September 11 was also adopted as Teachers' Day in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Currently, Massachusetts sets the first Sunday of June as its own Teachers' Day, annually. |
| Uzbekistan |
October 1 |
|
| Vietnam |
November 20 |
This holiday allows students to express their respect to their
teacher. Students begin preparing a week in advance, and many classes
usually prepare literature and art to welcome Teachers' Day, while other
students prepare foods and flowers for the parties held at their
schools. Students usually visit their teachers at their homes to offer
flowers and small gifts, or organize trips with their teachers and
classmates. Former students also pay respect to their former teachers on
this day. The holiday has its origins in a meeting between educators in
communist bloc nations in Warsaw
in 1957. It was first celebrated in 1958 as the Day of the
International Manifest of Educators; in 1982 the day was renamed
Vietnamese Educators' Day. |
| Venezuela |
January 15 |
On this day there are no classes and during the week all the teachers are honoured for their support in building the country. |
| Yemen |
February 28 |
|
