The first national conference on teacher development held on September 14. MOEYS
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and its Capacity Development Partnership Fund partners – the EU, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, USAID, the Global Partnership for Education and UNICEF – on September 14 held the first national conference on teacher development. The conference focused on teacher training.
In a September 15 press statement, the ministry said that the conference provided a powerful platform for participants to share knowledge, research and best practice to further develop the nation’s teaching workforce. Teacher training institutes played a key role, with the ultimate objective of helping teachers be better prepared for equipping Cambodia’s children with crucial 21st century skills.
The ministry said that young Cambodians faced a rapidly changing world which requires teaching that focuses on fostering 21st century skills and knowledge, including understanding of technology, creativity, critical thinking, media literacy and communication skills. The education ministry has long recognised that existing teaching skills and training need to be reformed to meet this challenge.
“A wealth of valuable knowledge and expertise on these subjects already exists within the Cambodian education community, but hasn’t been widely shared. This conference was designed to tackle this challenge, by providing a forum for knowledge sharing which in turn galvanises action and mutual support in modernising Cambodian teacher training,” it added.
Nath Bunroeun, secretary of state for the ministry, said that raising teaching standards was the ministry’s key priority.
“This conference is about us sharing our progress so far, identifying where the gaps might be, and identifying concrete future actions in teacher education policy, curriculum and practice. These actions will be incorporated into the 2022 – 2030 Teacher Policy Action Plan, which will help us ensure our teachers are offering Cambodian children the modern, first-rate education they deserve,” he said.
The statement added that the varied conference agenda was structured around three key areas: policy, curriculum and practice. Research on the current experience of Cambodian teachers in 21st century skills was shared, plans for curriculum reform discussed, and new classroom teaching techniques explored. This programme will play a crucial role in improving teacher development.
Mey Somony, a teacher at Hun Sen Borey 100 Khnang High School in Phnom Penh said he believed that the ministry’s plans for reform would promote teachers’ qualifications to further improve the quality of education they delivered.
“Teachers are the cornerstone of the education system, but successful reform demands the participation of parents and the community. Teachers alone will not be enough,” he said.
