No matter where in the world you grew up, you can probably recall a teacher who had a positive influence in your life — someone who took the time and effort to help you when you needed it, or influenced the way you think that may still have an impact on who you are today. Our education shapes who we are destined to become, moulded greatly by our teachers’ hands.
What is World Teachers’ Day?
Each year on October 5th, we celebrate World Teachers’ Day — a day dedicated to educators and an opportunity to acknowledge their major impact on us as individuals as well as society as a whole.
On October 5th, 1966, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) passed the “Recommendation concerning the status of teachers” which established benchmarks for the responsibilities of teachers as well as recognition and protection of their rights and status. This day also honours teachers by defining access to quality education as crucial to fulfilling the United Nations’ educational targets for its 2030 agenda.
This year, as the world continues to navigate the COVID-19 crisis and its aftermath, UNESCO has designated a theme for the 2021 World Teachers’ Day: “Teachers at the heart of education recovery” with a “focus on the support teachers need to fully contribute to the recovery process.”
Education stocks: investments in our future
There are numerous ways that technology and other industries have helped teachers maintain educational continuity and personal contact with their students throughout recent challenging events. And advances in the education sector will continue to be of significance during the pandemic recovery and beyond. We have chosen to highlight several companies from this important sector which investors might consider adding to their portfolios.
Zoom
Virtual meetings became the norm in 2020, whether for business or personal purposes. Many countries mandated that schools close due to safety concerns and, almost overnight, the virtual classroom became a fact of life for teachers as well as students. Although nothing can or should replace the social interaction that brick-and-mortar educational institutions provide, there seem to be advantages to adding virtual options in addition to in-person learning as we move forward. Increasing access to education is, as stated, an important goal, and digital communications platforms such as Zoom cannot be overlooked since they promote that access very effectively.
Chegg
Since 2005, the online learning platform Chegg has provided high school and college students with educational resources, tutoring and homework help via its affordable subscription service. With the start of the pandemic, Chegg saw growth skyrocket as millions of students began to learn remotely. This year, restrictions eased and students went back to campus, dampening enthusiasm for the stock. However, although growth is no longer supercharged, the business boost Chegg received during the pandemic could still have long-lasting effects. Students’ need for learning support is by no means limited to a pandemic, and users who flocked to the platform then are more likely to stick around rather than move to a potential competitor.
Stride
This American educational resources company operates K12, a virtual learning platform offered as an alternative and/or supplement to in-person schools. Originally founded to create a uniform curriculum for homeschooling, Stride was able to easily transition into a remote educational alternative for many during the pandemic. Enrolments and revenue soared — and even with schools now reopening, parents have already been exposed to the benefits of online education, which has been the norm for the last year and a half. Whether used for homeschooling, hybrid learning, supplemental support, or even adult continuing education, Stride’s recent growth could continue to make it an attractive long-term investment.