World Teachers’ Day was once well recognised throughout the Northern Territory.

This year it happens on Friday the 30th of October. 

In years past, public recognition included an extensive advertisement supported insert in the Northern Territory News, along with radio and television coverage that commemorated our teachers in various schools throughout the Northern Territory. 

Over the past few years, World Teachers’ Day has become an increasingly silent celebration, without the media profile and recognition it still deserves but doesn’t receive. 

Recently, I came across a terrific innovation from the Member of Sanderson’s office, through Jinson Charls and his electoral office secretary, Susie. I have attached a copy. 

In essence, people were invited to pick up these invitations, comment on teachers, and return them to their child’s school. I thought that this was a wonderful idea and asked if it would be okay if I let the Northern Territory Principals Association know, with the thought that maybe these could be distributed and used throughout the territory. I don’t know what the outcome of that has been. 

Attached is a copy of the pro forma, which could be reproduced and then returned to schools attended by our children. They might be made out to individual teachers within schools or to the school as a whole. 

It disappoints me that we don’t recognise World Teachers’ Day the way we used to. I hope schools celebrate within their own walls—some more than others—but the system’s overall recognition in the media and public domain has faded over the last several years. I hope that it’s reinstated and that we once again recognise teachers and school support staff for the great work they do.

Regards

Henry Gray

October 22 2026

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