BY GCWALISILE MHLABANE
MANZINI– The United Nations has called for greater investment in teachers’ welfare, professional development and working conditions, saying education transformation depends on a teaching workforce that is respected, supported and equipped to meet the changing needs of pupils.
UN Resident Coordinator George Wachira said teachers must be recognised as key partners in education reforms and given opportunities to strengthen their skills, advance professionally and contribute to decisions affecting the profession.
This was among the key messages delivered during the National Teachers’ Day Commemoration and National Teachers’ Awards held at the Metropolitan Evangelical Church in Manzini on Friday, October 9, 2026. Wachira was represented by UNICEF Acting Representative Ruben Pages.
Held under the theme, “Standing with Teachers: 60 Years of Protecting the Profession, Advancing its Status and Shaping our Futures,” the commemoration marked 60 years since the adoption of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, which recognises the essential role of educators in fulfilling the right to education.
Wachira said teachers’ professional standing, wellbeing and conditions of service should reflect the value of their contribution to society and national development.
“Behind every achievement in public service, healthcare, business, science or innovation is a teacher who helped unlock human potential,” he said.
He explained that teachers do more than deliver lessons. They help pupils develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills and the values needed to participate meaningfully in society.
Wachira said investment in teachers was also an investment in sustainable development, as quality education contributes to healthier populations, more inclusive economies, greater gender equality and resilient communities.
However, he noted that many teachers continued to face challenges, including excessive workloads, limited professional development opportunities, concerns about their wellbeing and inadequate professional recognition.
He called for clearer career pathways, continuous professional training and supportive working conditions to strengthen the profession and make teaching more attractive.
Wachira also urged education stakeholders to equip teachers with technology, connectivity and digital skills to prepare pupils for a future increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, climate pressures and changing labour markets.
He said emerging technologies could expand access to learning, but should complement rather than replace teachers’ professional expertise, mentorship and human connection with pupils.
He emphasised the need for education systems to develop pupils’ creativity, communication, digital literacy, ethical judgement and emotional wellbeing so they could adapt to future opportunities and challenges.
Wachira further called for stronger dialogue between Government, policymakers, teachers and their representative organisations on professional welfare, curriculum development and education reforms. He said teachers should be actively involved in decisions that affect their work and the quality of education.
His remarks followed Eswatini’s hosting of the Pan-African Conference on Teacher Education 2026 earlier in the week, which brought together education leaders, policymakers, educators and teacher associations from across Africa.
Wachira said the conference reinforced the importance of strengthening the teaching profession to advance quality education and support the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
He called for stronger partnerships among Government, educational institutions, teacher organisations, communities, development partners and the private sector to improve teachers’ working conditions and professional development.
The United Nations, he said, remained committed to supporting Eswatini’s efforts to improve education quality and outcomes.
Wachira also congratulated the newly elected leadership of the National Teachers Association, expressing hope that it would continue advancing teachers’ welfare, professionalism and quality teaching.
He thanked teachers across the country for their dedication and resilience, saying their daily work continued to shape pupils’ lives and the future of the nation.
“By investing in teachers and valuing their expertise, we strengthen education and create the foundation for a more inclusive, prosperous and sustainable future,” he said.
