As the world celebrates World Teachers’ Day 2025 under the theme “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession,” the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) Ghana, a UNESCO Category II Centre of Excellence, joins the global call to reimagine teaching as a collective and empowering vocation.

World Teachers’ Day, celebrated annually on October 3, commemorates the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers and the 1997 Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel. These landmark frameworks define the rights, responsibilities, and professional standards of teachers while emphasizing the vital role they play in shaping societies.

This year’s theme highlights collaboration as a cornerstone of effective teaching and learning. Around the world, teachers continue to work tirelessly to nurture learners and innovate within their classrooms, yet many do so in isolation, with limited opportunities for mentorship or professional networks. UNESCO and the UN’s High-Level Panel on the Teaching Profession have underscored the urgency of transforming teaching into a collaborative, well-supported profession, one sustained by shared learning, peer engagement, and mutual growth.

At AIMS Ghana, collaboration among teachers, researchers and students lies at the heart of its mission to advance quality mathematical education across Africa. Through initiatives like the Master’s in Mathematical Sciences for Teachers (MMST) and the Helping Teachers Training in Mathematics Conference (HTTMC) in collaboration with the University of Waterloo, Canada, AIMS Ghana continues to build communities of practice that bridge the gap between academia and classroom realities.

The MMST program, designed for in-service mathematics teachers, offers a unique opportunity for educators to deepen their mathematical knowledge while engaging in research and professional development. Beyond academic training, the program fosters peer learning, co-teaching, and collaborative problem-solving, key elements of the UNESCO vision for transforming education. By equipping teachers with advanced mathematical tools and promoting teamwork, AIMS Ghana ensures that educators return to their classrooms not only with greater subject mastery but also with renewed confidence and a spirit of cooperation.

Similarly, the HTTMC, an annual flagship event of AIMS Ghana, serves as a platform for teachers from across Africa to connect, share experiences, and explore innovative approaches to teaching mathematics. The conference emphasizes the importance of dialogue among educators, researchers and policymakers, creating a space where collaborative ideas can translate into tangible classroom practices.

Reflecting on the value of collaboration, teachers from the MMST Program at AIMS shared powerful insights on how teamwork transforms mathematics education. From Ghana to Rwanda, Eswatini to Nigeria, teachers described how working together inspires creativity, reduces barriers to learning, and builds supportive professional communities.

One teacher, Joyceline Kpabitey from Labone Senior High, Ghana, summarized it saying: “When educators plan, teach, and reflect together, they ignite excellence. Collaboration fuels passion, deepens understanding, and creates classrooms where every student feels seen, supported, and inspired to think boldly.”

As AIMS Ghana joins the global education community in celebrating World Teachers’ Day 2025, it reaffirms its commitment to empowering teachers as collaborators, innovators, and changemakers. By nurturing strong networks of educators across Africa, AIMS continues to strengthen the foundations of inclusive, high-quality education, ensuring that teaching remains not a solitary pursuit, but a shared journey toward transforming the future of learning.