Statement from Minister McLean on World Teachers’ Day

Minister of Education Jeanie McLean has issued the following statement:

“World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) October 5, 1966, adoption of the ‘Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers’, and acknowledges the essential role of teachers in advancing education, as well as the importance of their contributions towards the development of society and humankind.

“UNESCO’s 2023 theme for World Teachers’ Day is ‘The teachers we need for the education we want: The global imperative to reverse the teacher shortage’. The Canadian Teachers’ Federation also selects a theme each year; this year they chose ‘The Empty Classroom: Challenges and Solutions to the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Crisis’. We embrace these calls to action and celebrate the essential role that educators play in  the growth, development and survival of our society.

“Teachers, to you we say shäw níthän, merci and thank you for the incredibly important work you do each day for our students and our society.

“This World Teachers’ Day, we also recognize that teachers need the support of our governments and our communities. From early learning, through elementary and secondary school, to postsecondary education, the Yukon’s educators provide students of all ages with knowledge, valuable skills, stability, support, guidance and inspiration for a lifetime of learning. It is our responsibility, as a society that benefits from the services of teachers, to stand with our educators and to uplift and support them.

“Our government is supporting educators across the territory through training and other school-based initiatives. One example of this is the Ready-to-Learn Schools initiative. Through this initiative, teachers receive training on how to best support children in their classrooms. Our goal is for all Yukon schools to join the R2L initiative over the next three to five years.

“As announced this summer, we are investing in our education system with the addition of 81 new full-time student support positions over the next three years. Alongside this increase in staff, we are making a $1 million investment in student support initiatives, including working with Yukon First Nations governments to hire Elders, Knowledge Keepers and other community leaders. In Budget 2023–24, our government invested an additional $27.3 million in school facilities, $3.5 million in early learning and childcare, and $1 million for recruitment and retention of rural education professionals.

“In Yukon schools, we have classroom teachers, learning assistance teachers, educational assistants, language teachers, including Yukon First Nation language teachers and Elders, counsellors and more. Every day, educators in the Yukon make significant contributions in the lives of learners of all ages, as well as towards the future of our society, including the not-too-distant future leaders of the Yukon and our communities. With patience, kindness and mutual support, Yukon educators continue to set positive examples, innovate and demonstrate deep care and compassion for the wellbeing of their students and school communities.

“I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect upon the impact of educators in your life and to reach out if you can  to a teacher who has had a positive influence in your life, to express your appreciation and acknowledgement of their contributions.

“On behalf of the Government of Yukon, I thank all the teachers, specialized support staff, administrators and all other school staff for their conscious efforts, compassion and commitment to students and their school communities across the Yukon.

“Shäw níthän, merci, thank you, to all our teachers and educators.“