Press Release: On World Teachers' Day, MoEYS and UNESCO Affirm the Essential Role of Teachers in Shaping 21st-Century Learners

The world's demands on the next generation are changing, and Cambodia's own education reform journey reflects its ambitions to develop young people ready to meet these challenges. Cambodia's Pentagonal Strategy, its roadmap for growth, employment, equity, efficiency and sustainability, sets out to realise the Cambodia Vision 2050 of becoming a high-income country, anchored in Human Capital Development as its very first pillar.

This year, Cambodia celebrates World Teachers' Day under the theme “Teachers are the pillars of modern pedagogy for building 21st-century human resources” to recognise the central role of teachers in preparing the next generation for the world’s changing demands. On 5 October 2026, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) hosted a national celebration in Phnom Penh at the National Institute of Education (NIE), presided over by H.E. Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, and Mr Flavio Bonetti, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia. Around 1,300 teachers, education leaders and development partners attended this annual national event.

Effective pedagogy depends on well-qualified, supported teachers, and the MoEYS has continued to invest in strengthening its teaching workforce as a reform priority. At the recent Transforming Education Summit + 4 (TES+4) in July 2026, the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General cited Cambodia as a country example of making transformation possible by extending teacher qualification to a degree programme.

Since 2018, the MoEYS and UNESCO have advanced their shared commitment to transform teacher education and raise the status of teachers in Cambodia through the $27.02 million Strengthening Teacher Education Programmes in Cambodia (STEPCam) financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

The reform follows a teacher's career path, starting with initial teacher education, where Cambodia has recently doubled the length of initial teacher education to a four-year Bachelor-level programme for primary teachers. Through STEPCam, the MoEYS has developed and introduced a new one-year teacher education programme for motivated university graduates to enter the profession. In 2025, the first cohort of over 5,000 primary teachers was recruited under this new pathway.

Since the first phase of STEPCam, the MoEYS and UNESCO have collaborated on building and expanding a national system of Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for teachers and education staff. The CPD system has now expanded to offer 84 accredited courses through 11 providers, giving teachers access to opportunities for professional growth and earning CPD credits that can contribute to their career advancement. To prepare teachers and students for an increasingly digital world, the MoEYS is developing the country's first National ICT and AI Competency Framework for Teachers, which will serve as the blueprint to guide the development of ICT and AI skills among teachers in Cambodia to effectively and ethically integrate digital tools and AI into teaching and learning.

This system-wide transformation has made remarkable strides and has now culminated in promising results for Cambodia: in the latest 2025 PISA assessment, Cambodia's scores rose 18 points in reading, 30 in mathematics and 35 in science since 2022, an early sign that better-prepared, better-supported teachers are reaching classrooms and building the foundation for the young people the 21st century needs.

H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, stated: “Teachers are at the heart of learning. We must continuously invest in teachers, not only through initial teacher training, but throughout their entire careers. Learning for their professional development should be practical, collaborative, continuous, and directly linked to actual classroom needs”.

At the same time, this year's international theme, “Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures,” speaks to the importance of ensuring that the system supports teachers to excel in their profession. The theme marks 60 years since the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, the international instrument that sets out fair treatment, proper preparation, and decent working conditions for teachers. The Recommendation is currently being revised to keep pace with the profound transformations of the teaching profession since its launch 60 years ago. In Cambodia, over the past decade, the MoEYS has raised teacher salaries, improved the quality of teacher education, while expanding opportunities for teachers to access professional learning throughout their careers. Together, these efforts affirm a central principle – that teaching is a respected and impactful profession that demands and deserves professionalism and recognition in equal measure.

Mr Flavio Bonetti commended Cambodia on its continued investment in teachers, noting, "The 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers speaks to three things: how teachers are recognised and valued, their autonomy and voice, and the conditions that allow them to do their work well. Sixty years on, the Recommendation is more important than ever. As Cambodia marks its 75th anniversary of UNESCO Membership, we remain committed to supporting the Ministry in advancing its teacher reform."

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