The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) has called on Ghanaian teachers to come up with innovative ways of teaching and learning to educate students without meeting them physically in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

IFEST gave the counsel in a statement to mark World Teachers’ Day today, Monday, October 5, 2020.

The theme for this year’s celebration is: ‘Teachers: Leading in crisis, reimagining the future’.

IFEST noted that although the COVID-19 pandemic has added significantly to the already-existing problems being faced by the country’s educational system, it provides an opportunity for the teachers to be innovative.

“As the teachers come up with these innovative ideas, we admonish the government to support the teachers with the necessary resources in terms of finance and the provision of needed educational resources and digital devices during these times to enable them to leverage technology to improve learning outcomes,” the statement said.

IFEST congratulated and commended all teachers for their hard work and sacrifices in helping to make a difference and inspiring future generations.

World Teachers' Day, established in 1994, commemorates the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the status of teachers which is a standard-setting instrument that addresses the status and situations of teachers around the world.

This recommendation outlines standards relating to education personnel policy, recruitment, and initial training as well as the continuing education of teachers, their employment, and working conditions.

World Teachers' Day aims to focus on "appreciating, assessing and improving the educators of the world" and to provide an opportunity to consider issues related to teachers and teaching.