As the Commonwealth of Dominica marks its 2026 Teachers’ Week, a celebration running from September 23 through October 3, the president of the island nation’s leading educators’ advocacy body has centered the conversation on the irreplaceable role teachers play in building long-term national growth.
Mervin Alexander, who leads the Dominica Association of Teachers (DAT), delivered these remarks in an official address released to commemorate Teachers’ Day, which fell on October 2 this year. Per Alexander, the annual 11-day observance serves as a critical moment to pause and acknowledge the far-reaching contributions educators make at every level of Dominican society—from individual students and their households to local communities and the country as a whole.
This year’s national Teachers’ Week carries the deliberate theme: “Teachers: The Foundation of National Development – Value Us.” Alexander expanded on the theme’s core message, explaining that teachers’ work for national progress extends far beyond the delivery of standard academic lesson plans. Beyond teaching core curricula, educators help young people cultivate a suite of foundational soft skills that drive individual and collective success: self-discipline, personal responsibility, perseverance, collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking, creative innovation, and respect for self and others.
A key point Alexander emphasized is that teachers lay the groundwork for the next generation of Dominican leaders and professionals who will go on to serve the nation in every sector. This impact, he noted, cannot be quantified by standard test scores or examination results alone. “Much of the most important work happens quietly—in the encouragement offered, the confidence restored, and the lives redirected,” he shared in his statement.
Beyond recognition, Alexander used the occasion to call for systemic action to support the teaching profession across Dominica. He argued that truly valuing teachers requires more than symbolic celebration: it demands respect for educators’ professional expertise and autonomy, access to adequate instructional and operational resources, safe and supportive working environments, and a meaningful seat at the table for education decision-making processes that directly impact their work. Alexander also added that sustained investment in continuous professional development for teachers and prioritization of educators’ personal and professional well-being must be core policy and institutional priorities moving forward.
Alexander did not shy away from acknowledging the steep challenges facing Dominican educators today. He recognized that many currently operate with excessive workloads, limited access to critical resources, and a range of competing demands that make their daily work far more difficult than the public often recognizes. Even with these barriers, he reminded attendees and educators across the country that their influence ripples across generations. “The child in your classroom today may become tomorrow’s doctor, business leader, farmer, public servant, teacher or parent,” he said.
In closing, Alexander encouraged fellow educators to lean on one another for collective support and to uphold the inherent dignity of the teaching profession. He reaffirmed the Dominica Association of Teachers’ ongoing commitment to elevating educator voices and highlighting their work, and reminded teachers across the island that their labor, their perspectives, their well-being, and their contributions to national life all matter deeply.
“As we celebrate our profession today, may you be renewed in strength and reminded that your labour is not in vain,” Alexander said. He ended the address by restating the association’s central message for 2026 Teachers’ Week: “Teachers are ‘The Foundation of National Development’ Please Value Us!”