Nation-building and development require many dedicated and capable teachers who possess sound values, beliefs and attitudes while upholding professional teaching ethics.
President of
the Republic of the Union of Myanmar Agga Maha Thray Sithu Agga Maha Thiri
Thudhamma U Min Aung Hlaing sent a message to the ceremony to mark World
Teachers’ Day 2026, which falls on 5 October 2026. The full text of the
translated message is as follows:
Esteemed
teachers,
On the
auspicious occasion of World Teachers’ Day, which falls on 5 October 2026, I
would first like to extend my best wishes to all teachers across Myanmar for
good physical and mental well-being. Today, 5 October, is World Teachers’ Day,
a special and auspicious occasion observed worldwide to honour and celebrate
the noble and distinguished virtues of teachers, including their moral
integrity, dedication and knowledge.
World
Teachers’ Day has been celebrated worldwide every year on 5 October since 1994,
and it has now been 33 years of honouring and paying tribute to the noble
contributions of teachers. In Myanmar, World Teachers’ Day has also been
observed since 5 October 2002, marking 24 years this year. Teachers are
continuously nurturing the educated human resources that are essential for the
development of the country. I pay deep respect and honour the abilities and
contributions of teachers in serving the interests of the country and its
people through education across successive generations.
A noble
teacher is one capable of bringing the light of wisdom to others and guiding
them away from greed, teaching them to overcome anger and cultivating patience
and forgiveness, and dispelling the darkness of ignorance, guiding and
directing them towards the right path. Teachers are benefactors of the teacher
lineage who possess the six qualities of a mentor: encouraging, awakening,
showing compassion, exercising patience, providing guidance and offering
thoughtful advice, and upholding the five teacherly duties: imparting knowledge
and skills, giving guidance, teaching all techniques without withholding
anything, protecting s tudents from dangers and harm, and assigning them to
suitable responsibilities. In addition, they possess such admirable qualities
as broad knowledge and learning, proficiency in their respective fields, good
moral character, and the ability to speak only what is truthful and beneficial.
The noble
virtues of teachers are praised in the Magha Deva poem as follows: “A teacher
is one who, with upholding loving-kindness and compassion, points out faults
whenever they are seen, keeps nothing hidden in the heart, speaks the truth,
and offers guidance with the sincere wish for the student’s improvement.” As an
integral part of Myanmar’s cultural heritage, teachers and benefactors of the
noble lineage of teachers have long been revered, respected and honoured in
accordance with the traditions of paying homage and showing humility. This
longstanding tradition of respect and paying tribute to teachers has been
firmly upheld for generations.
The term
“teacher” is derived from the Pali word “Saya”, meaning “a shelter that
provides safety and cool shade”. The Myanmar Dictionary also defines a teacher
as “one who imparts knowledge, instructs, disciplines and guides others”. Since
people acquire various forms of knowledge and skills that contribute to their
worldly and spiritual well-being from teachers, no one in this world can be
said to be without a teacher or to have never had a teacher.
Teachers, in
keeping with the principle of “teaching lessons while also shaping character”,
nurture their students like their own children, without discrimination or
favouritism. They strive not only to help students excel academically but also
to equip them with knowledge and practical skills. They also instil in students
the traditional Myanmar values of “respecting elders, showing consideration to
peers and caring for the younger”. Teachers guide students so that they can
build successful and meaningful futures and become responsible individuals who
contribute positively to society. Teachers nurture the younger generation to
become capable and outstanding individuals, to develop socially and morally
with a proper balance between self-interest and concern for others, and to
cultivate students with the five forms of strength. As such, teachers are truly
“the heart of education, the steerspersons of the future, and a cornerstone of
the nation”.
Classrooms
are places where the future of the nation is shaped, while teachers serve as
pioneers and guides who educate and nurture future national leaders,
intellectuals, professionals and skilled workers. Therefore, nation-building
and development require many good and dedicated teachers who possess sound
values, beliefs and attitudes and uphold professional teaching ethics.
The State is
promoting the role and rights of teachers on an equal basis so that the country
can keep pace with today’s global landscape, marked by growing competition in
science and technology in the 21st-century knowledge era, and develop an
education system capable of competing at the international level. Enhancing
education lays a firm foundation for national development, peace, stability and
prosperity. Therefore, the government continues to pay close attention to the
voices of teachers and make sustained efforts to improve their social
well-being and enhance their professional capabilities. In particular, support
is being provided in various areas to strengthen teachers’ digital skills,
proficiency in research-based teaching methods, and higher-order thinking and
analytical abilities.
In line with
the motto “Let us ensure education sector for the development of the Nation”,
the State is placing particular emphasis on increasing investment in the
education sector through the national budget and promoting balanced development
across various areas, including basic education, higher education, vocational
education and research. To ensure that citizens can fully enjoy their inherent
right to education without interruption throughout the country, a free
education system is being developed in the basic education sector. Regarding
students and young people as invaluable human resources, efforts will be made
to transform basic education schools into Smart Schools and to promote
universities and colleges as quality learning environments in accordance with
international standards.
In addition
to salaries, teachers are being provided with additional benefits based on
their educational qualifications, uniform allowances, housing allowances, and
increased opportunities for domestic and overseas education. Annual awards are
also presented to outstanding and high-achieving children of members of the
education community. In recognition of teachers’ dignity, competence and
dedication to their duties, honorary award recipients and outstanding teachers
are selected and honoured annually. Furthermore, efforts will continue to
improve teachers’ working conditions, ensuring their psychological and physical
safety and enabling them to uphold the dignity and professional standards of
the teaching profession.
As efforts
are being accelerated to achieve the two priority objectives of “forging peace
and stability in the country” and “promoting national development”, teachers
and students who possess sound knowledge, rationality and a basic understanding
of peace serve as a vital source of strength for the nation. As the main
pillars of the national education system, teachers have a responsibility to
understand and comply with the Constitution, existing laws, rules and
regulations prescribed by the State, and to pass on and disseminate knowledge
to the younger generation. In line with the educational objective of “morale,
discipline and knowledge”, they should also nurture their students to become
responsible citizens who maintain good discipline and respect and abide by the
law. It is important for teachers to always place the national interest first
and faithfully fulfil their responsibilities to the country and the education
sector.
Teachers must
have a thorough knowledge of the provisions of the National Education Law and
strictly comply with educational directives, procedures and regulations when
carrying out educational activities. In addition, teachers have to nurture
students and young people so that they can understand, practise and comply with
democratic principles and practices, in addition to practising such principles
themselves. Teachers must have the capability to manage their time and
continuously study and learn to enhance their professional knowledge and
teaching skills. They should participate actively in quality-enhancement
training courses and seminars and make concerted efforts to contribute to the
development of the education sector. I would also like to emphasize that
teachers themselves need to read widely and continuously acquire knowledge so
that they can impart guidance, moral instruction and knowledge to students and
young people, enabling them in the future to contribute to the development of
the national economy and to respect and abide by the law.
I would like
to urge all teachers to steadfastly serve their duties as much as they can
because the education department is directly concerned with chances of all
school-age children to attend schools, reduction of school dropout rate,
measures to enable all citizens to complete at least KG+9 education,
arrangements for those attending higher education to complete their studies,
and plans to enjoy opportunities to pursue vocational techniques to develop the
education sector.
The State has
revised the formation of the Ministry of Industry, Micro, Small and
Medium-sized Enterprise Development to promote the industrial sector based on
agriculture and livestock farming. As such, it is important to continuously
encourage the production of large numbers of excellent intellectuals and
intelligentsia. All teachers, parents and officials have to join hands in
harmony to ensure equitable development of the entire nation through concerted
efforts of experts and scholars.
Teachers
deeply understand and accept the genuine essence of wisdom, upholding the
tradition “The livelihoods with education are the best”. They need to uplift
their capabilities to be the teachers who guide and advise their pupils with
genuine goodwill, loving-kindness, empathy and compassion to become educated,
polite individuals. On the occasion of World Teachers’ Day, I earnestly urge
the teachers to cultivate in their hearts the innate knowledge, wisdom and
awareness that enable them to think broadly and envision the future, so that
these qualities may flourish perpetually for the benefit of the nation’s future
generations.
In
conclusion, I extend my best wishes: –
- May all the
teachers become gardeners who can create the garden of knowledge to enable a
diverse array of beautiful flowers to bloom peacefully in full splendour.
– May they be
able to produce many well-educated, virtuous, and capable individuals who take
delight in learning within the shelter of knowledge.
– May they
develop profound knowledge and wisdom, and contribute to enhancing the image of
the nation and advancing the education sector through their good reputation.
– May all
teachers enjoy good health and well-being, successfully fulfil their
educational duties, and be blessed with every kind of prosperity and success.
Agga Maha
Thray Sithu, Agga Maha Thiri
Thudhamma U
Min Aung Hlaing
President,
Republic of the Union of Myanmar
#TheGlobalNewLightOfMyanmar
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