On October 5, 2026, the Gabonese teaching community joined the global celebration of World Teachers' Day, with the theme "60 years of protecting the profession, promoting teaching conditions, and shaping our futures." The event was marked by a mass ceremony at Libreville's Saint Pierre Church, attended by Minister of State for National Education, Camélia Ntoutoume-Leclercq. She also visited the Institute for Education and Training, formerly known as the École Normale Supérieure.
The teaching community gathered at the national headquarters of the National Education Union (Sena) to assess their situation, discuss progress, and bring attention to remaining challenges. Teachers highlighted the issue of overcrowding in classrooms, citing the need for more rooms to accommodate the large number of students. They also discussed the lack of digital equipment in some schools, which lack multimedia facilities suitable for the era of artificial intelligence.
Career concerns were also raised, with some teachers having been on probation for 20 years. Working conditions were also criticized, with a shortage of adapted infrastructure. The discussions also touched on reforms in the education system, with teachers welcoming some government initiatives while calling for better dissemination of the 2024 Interim Education Plan and the Curricular Orientation Framework.
Despite acknowledging some progress, Gabon's teachers emphasized that difficulties persist in the national education system. They urged the government to make greater efforts to improve their living and working conditions. World Teachers' Day was established in 1994 to recognize the essential role of teachers and reflect on the conditions of the profession worldwide.
The event also saw the presentation of new school textbooks by the Catholic education sector, which introduced four new French and mathematics manuals for primary school students. This development aims to improve the quality of education in Gabon.
In related news, Libreville is hosting a regional workshop on green agro-entrepreneurship for young people from the Congo Basin, organized by the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). The event aims to promote sustainable agriculture and support young entrepreneurs in the region.
The World Teachers' Day celebrations in Gabon concluded with a call to action for the government to address the challenges facing the education sector. The teachers' union emphasized the need for collaborative efforts to improve the quality of education and working conditions for teachers.
Key points
- The Gabonese teaching community is calling for improved working conditions, better infrastructure, and more resources to address overcrowding and outdated equipment in schools.
- The government has made some progress in education reforms, but teachers are urging for more efforts to improve their living and working conditions.
- World Teachers' Day was celebrated in Gabon with events, discussions, and calls to action to address the challenges facing the education sector.
