UNESCO World Teachers’ Day 2021

Today, Tuesday 5 October 2021, is World Teachers’ Day. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has celebrated World Teachers’ Day since 1994. The day is marked to thank teachers around the globe.

Glencore is proud to support schools and teachers around the world, who are shaping the minds of the future. To help provide students with access to education, we work with teachers to create mobile learning opportunities, including an e-Learning System in South Africa and a Mobile School Bus in Peru. These systems enable students in rural areas to connect with experienced teachers to improve their performance, creating new opportunities for their future.

In South Africa, teachers are able to transmit live lessons to rural schools across the country. Eighty-six schools in seven provinces are part of the programme, which allows students and teachers to directly interact and engage with one another. The results are remarkable. These dedicated teachers have managed to transform one school’s science pass rate from 19% to 85%. 

More than 24,000 South African students in rural areas have benefitted from the interaction with teachers like Magdeli, through this e-Learning System.

In Peru, Glencore supports the Special Educational Resources Centre (“CREE”) with the aim of providing school children in rural areas with the same opportunities as those in urban ones. CREE is a space that supports students and teachers in improving pathways to education. It is a unique and innovative project, where access is provided free of charge. This allows teachers to focus on learning and development, taking students to new levels. One example of this is when Roberto, a CREE math teacher, saw a unique talent in his student Brandon. Roberto supported Brandon with extra tutoring, allowing him to compete in and ultimately win first prize at the Peruvian National Mathematics Olympiad.

Brandon now supports CREE by tutoring young students in the CREE Mobile School Bus, a rural education programme designed to connect teachers with students in the most remote locations.

Read more about how Glencore’s activities can make a significant contribution to the national, regional and local communities in the countries we operate in here.