The Department of Basic Education (DBE) joined approximately 485,000 educators on 5 October 2026, to celebrate annual World Teachers’ Day (WTD) along with the global education community, in recognition of the teaching profession and its contribution towards the education of every child. The commemoration follows the 2026 National Teaching Awards on 1 October, where the Department celebrated educators whose professionalism, innovation, leadership and commitment represent excellence within the teaching profession. The Department will be commemorating Teacher Appreciation Month during the month of October.
Under the theme: "Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures," the 2026 edition will review the current challenges related to teacher status and the strategies to address them.
Reflecting on the significance of World Teachers’ Day, Minister Gwarube said teachers remain central to shaping South Africa’s future. “Every day, in classrooms across the length and breadth of our nation, in townships, rural communities and farms, teachers unlock potential, expand opportunity and give our children the foundations they need to succeed. Today, we celebrate their contribution and recommit ourselves to ensuring that teachers are supported to do what they do best teach, inspire and prepare the next generation”.
The Department’s strategic priorities recognise that improving educational outcomes requires sustained investment in teachers, particularly in the formative years of a child’s education. This includes strengthening Early Childhood Development, Foundation Phase literacy and numeracy, teacher development, inclusion and school safety. This year, 10,000 Foundation Phase teachers are receiving targeted training in literacy and numeracy, alongside continued work to strengthen the National Reading Literacy Strategy and support Mother Tongue-based Bilingual Education.
Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, noted the continued professional development of teachers is essential to improving learning outcomes across the system. “Teachers are the professionals through whom curriculum, policy and educational reform ultimately reach the learner. Supporting their development must therefore remain central to our work. When we strengthen the knowledge, skills and professional confidence of teachers, we strengthen the classroom and improve the prospects of every child.”
World Teachers’ Day also provides an opportunity to recognise that excellence in teaching must be shared across the system. The Department believes that outstanding educators should increasingly become sources of professional knowledge and practice for their peers, allowing successful approaches developed in one classroom to benefit many more learners. As Minister Gwarube referred to recently whilst addressing educators at the National Teacher Awards, “Excellence should travel. Knowledge should travel. This is how a system becomes stronger. Strong teachers build strong foundations. Strong foundations create strong futures”.