There are 40 million teachers in the world, they constitute the backbone of their nation's educational system and their status is of critical importance to educational quality and hence to national development. This publication offers a basic guide to international legal texts of relevance to the teaching profession, and is primarily intended for teachers and their organizations, policy-makers, planners and administrators in education, and private educational employers. It gives clear and extensive coverage of the provisions of the 1966 Recommendation concerning the status of teachers, as well as relevant Conventions and Recommendations adopted by the International Labour Conference. The publication is designed as a useful reference work to help in the formulation of policy and the implementation of standards in one of the world's oldest and most important professions.