Guatemala Teacher's Day - June 25th

An organization of teachers in Guatemala is still hoping that their demands for more holidays would be considered by the national government. This as the Guatemala Teacher’s Day is coming this year – specifically on June 25, 2008. The union of teachers in the country identified as ‘Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Educacion de Guatemala’ (STEG) will be commemorating this day as very significant for the teachers. This is the day when one of their active colleagues in the profession, the late Maria Chinchilla, was assassinated for fighting their causes during a heated rally of issues and concerns.

The STEG wants the government to declare a national holiday the celebration of teachers every 25th of June as well as the International Teacher’s Day every 5th of October – and to make this an automatic compensated activity for teachers even if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday. Earlier last year, the union also demanded the national government to declare as personal holiday the special birthdays of teachers all over the country, as well as to declare June 17 as a public holiday for the make head of the family or what maybe appropriately considered in other countries as Father’s Day.

Since Guatemala is only a small country in Central America the teacher’s day celebration is only much of demands for the right of teachers which the government has not yet recommended. The union of teachers in said country has already stressed during their protest rallies to continue calling on the national leadership to give them the rights and privileges.

The teacher appreciation day in Guatemala is not mush of a fun fare since even the national teacher’s day declaration as a national holiday is not yet acted upon by the government. There are only little activities in schools and simple distribution of love cards and greetings cards to educators. The union of teachers has publicly voiced out their concerns to give educators the right privileges they deserve like most countries of the world.