World Teachers’ Day 2026: 6 Powerful Quotes from Leaders

Behind most confident students, there’s a teacher who never gave up on them. On 5 October 2026, the world stopped to say thank you.

This year’s World Teachers’ Day marked 60 years since the 1966 and the theme was “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures.”

6 Quotes worth keeping

1. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, at the National Teaching Awards

“Artificial intelligence may be able to provide an answer, but a teacher helps a learner understand the question.”

2. William Ruto, President of Kenya, in Nairobi

“You do not only teach Kenya’s children, you build the people who build our nation.”

3. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia, in Phnom Penh

“Teachers are at the heart of learning.”

4. Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO Director-General, at the Prize ceremony

“Teaching is about far more than the transmission of knowledge…”

5. UNESCO, ILO, UNICEF and Education International, in a joint message

“The value we place on teachers reflects the value we place on future generations.”

6. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, on X for India’s own Teachers’ Day

“#TeachersDay is about appreciating the strong contribution of teachers to our society.”

Appreciation is where it starts. Whoever your teacher was, a simple thank-you still means a lot.

One small thing you can do

Send a message to a teacher who mattered to you, even if it has been years. It costs nothing, and they will remember it