Phnom Penh: President of the National Assembly, Heng Samrin, has wished the nation’s teachers well on the occasion of Teachers' Day. He says the Kingdom has been marking the day every year on 5 October since 1997, “with the aim of reviving the culture and tradition of honouring the debt students owe to teachers across the country.

He says teachers are considered as “second parents” who not only educate the next generation but also mold their characters. He says teachers have played an invaluable role in rebuilding Cambodian society since the end of the Khmer Rouge in 1979.

Heng Samrin says this year, Teachers' Day, organised by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, is being organised under the theme "Teachers play an important role in education in all circumstances", reflecting more clearly that “under any circumstances, especially during the Covid-19 crisis, teachers are working hard to learn about technology, as well as teaching students online as a new way to learn so that our children can receive an education anytime, anywhere.”

He says the National Assembly and Royal Government have enacted laws and put in place policies to continuously improve the capacity and livelihood of teachers, to provide them “with the ability to transfer knowledge to our next generation. With full morality and ability, it will become a pillar of the nation in the future.”

He ended his statement by wishing all teachers and Cambodians the four blessings of the Buddha: “old age, beauty, happiness and strength”.