World Teachers' Day is designated annually on October 5th, aiming at highlighting the pivotal role teachers play in building a fair, peaceful, and sustainable world. This day marks the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers—a fundamental international framework that establishes clear standards regarding teachers' rights and responsibilities, their initial training and continuous professional development, their employment conditions, and their pedagogical and working environments.
Established in 1994, the Day has since served not only as an occasion for recognition but also for reflection on how we can collectively better support teachers, enabling them to fully utilize their talents, knowledge, and pedagogical calling to "transform" individuals, communities, and nations.
The DAISSy Research Group of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) recognizes educators as bearers of values, cultivators of critical thinking, and founders of future democracies. In this context, the Research Group has been developing educational tools and methodologies through European co-funded projects, where DAISSy-HOU participated as the only Greek entity in international consortia.
Indicative example is the “Creative Audiovisual Lab for the Promotion of Critical Thinking and Visual Media Literacy (CrAL)” European project, where DAISSy-HOU developed the CrAL e-platform, a space designed specifically to educators and school communities focused on audiovisual reading, writing, and creation, aiming at enhancing the digital media and critical thinking skills of both teachers and students. The platform offers a training course covering technical, digital, and creative skills, which is available in six (6) languages (English, Italian, Spanish, Croatian, Lithuanian, and Greek), as well as a collection of audiovisual material based on the CrAL methodology for creatively addressing specific social issues.
Respectively, the “Innovative Agile Project-based Learning (Agile2Learn)” European project, where DAISSy-HOU contributed to the development of innovative agile teaching and learning methods for primary and secondary education teachers. Representatives of this educational community from across Greece, had the opportunity to participate in the Agile2Learn training program and apply the project's educational tools at the class. In addition, they attended and successfully completed the "Agile Teaching and Learning Skills Development Training Program for Teachers" which was implemented by HOU in collaboration with the Regional Center for Educational Planning (PEKES) of Western Greece.
Currently running, a notable example is the “Digital Competence Levels Assessment in School Education (DigiCLASS)” European project, which addresses the need to develop common and effective strategies for assessing digital skills in the school education sector at the European level. It aims at supporting the assessment of digital skills in primary and secondary education—including initial vocational education and training—by adapting and extending the Pix digital competence assessment platform to the European level. The platform is based on the European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp) and supports the assessment of digital skills across various domains and proficiency levels.
Recognizing that educators require appropriate conditions, respect, resources, and continuous professional support, DAISSy-HOU contributes to promoting a shared vision of quality, inclusive, and equitable education for all—a vision that begins by respecting and empowering those involved in teaching.
