PHNOM PENH, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia marked a national World Teachers' Day event here on Wednesday, emphasizing the instrumental role of teachers in educating the next generations of Cambodians.
Held at the Phnom Penh Teacher Education College with the theme of "Our Teacher, Our Future, Our Country," the event attracted some 200 participants including teachers, school principals and development partners.
Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron said teachers are the backbone of the education system and that teachers need to have access to quality initial teacher education, continuous professional development, and opportunities to upgrade and update their teaching and digital skills.
"The reform of teacher education and the implementation of teacher policy constitute one of the top priorities of the education reform," he said. "This reform also aims to further promote the respect and the values of teachers in the Cambodian society."
In Cambodia, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and UNESCO, with support from the Global Partnership for Education, have been supporting teacher development since 2018 to improve the quality of primary education through the 14.4-million-U.S.-dollar Strengthening Teacher Education Programs in Cambodia (STEPCam).
Around 7,000 early grade teachers have received mentoring support and training to improve student learning outcomes in early grade mathematics and Khmer, said a joint statement, adding that in total, over 230,000 early grade students in Cambodia have benefited from STEPCam's support. ■
