Nairobi, Kenya, 5 October 2026 – Oxford University Press East Africa (OUPEA) was honoured to participate in this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebrations, joining teachers, education stakeholders and partners from across Kenya to recognise the contribution teachers make to learners, communities and the country’s future.
Speaking during the celebrations, OUPEA’s Chief Publishing Officer reflected on Oxford’s more than 70-year relationship with teachers and learners in Kenya and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting teachers beyond the provision of books and learning materials.
“Teaching is one of the few professions where success is measured not by what you achieve for yourself, but by what you help others achieve,” she said.
More than 70 years alongside teachers
For more than seven decades, Oxford University Press East Africa has walked alongside teachers and learners in Kenya. From the first English/Kiswahili Dictionary and Hello Children, remembered by generations of learners, to today’s print and digital learning solutions, teachers have remained central to Oxford’s work.
Teachers are not simply partners in Oxford’s work. They are part of the organisation’s education community. Oxford’s authors, reviewers and trainers include teachers, while many Oxford colleagues began their careers in the classroom.
The resources Oxford publishes are shaped by teachers, its professional development is led by teachers, and its learning solutions are informed by teachers.
As the Chief Publishing Officer noted in her address, “Oxford is a community built by teachers, for teachers, and in service of teachers and learners.”
Supporting more than 25,000 teachers every year
Supporting teachers also means investing in their continued professional development.
Each year, Oxford University Press East Africa supports the professional development of more than 25,000 teachers through webinars, conferences, training programmes and educational resources.
In September alone, OUPEA’s teacher webinar series attracted 10,686 registrations from teachers across Early Childhood Development, Primary, Junior School and Senior School.
The webinars are provided free of charge, are available on demand and can be accessed by teachers wherever they are.
OUPEA also continues to support the implementation of Competency-Based Education through free resources, including the Primary Teachers’ Companion, Junior School Teachers’ Companion and Senior School Teachers’ Companion, which are among its most downloaded free resources.
The organisation believes that investing in teachers is one of the most effective ways of investing in education because the impact extends well beyond the individual teacher.
As highlighted during the address, when one teacher is supported, hundreds of learners can ultimately benefit.
Supporting literacy and lifelong learning
OUPEA’s commitment to teachers forms part of its wider mission to advance knowledge and learning.
Literacy remains an important foundation for lifelong learning. Oxford continues to develop resources and learning solutions that strengthen literacy, improve communication skills and encourage independent learning.
This commitment has evolved over more than 70 years, from resources that generations of Kenyans remember from their own school days to current learning materials and internationally recognised resources such as the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, now in its 11th edition.
An invitation to keep learning
Teachers attending the World Teachers’ Day celebrations were also encouraged to continue investing in their own professional growth.
OUPEA invited teachers to participate in the upcoming English Language Teaching Online Conference (ELTOC) 2026, taking place from 22nd to 24th October 2026.
The free global conference will bring together teachers and leading education experts from around the world to share practical classroom strategies and discuss innovations in education, inclusive teaching approaches, assessment practices, learner engagement and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in education.
Teachers are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to learn, exchange ideas and connect with a wider global community of educators.
As the Chief Publishing Officer noted, “When teachers learn, learners thrive.”
Celebrating the people who make education possible
World Teachers’ Day provides an opportunity to recognise not only what teachers do in the classroom, but also the lasting influence they have on individuals and society.
A doctor’s journey begins with a teacher. An engineer’s journey begins with a teacher. A scientist’s journey begins with a teacher. A leader’s journey begins with a teacher.
Every profession stands on the shoulders of a teacher.
Oxford University Press East Africa is grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebrations and to continue working alongside the teachers who make education possible.
To teachers across Kenya, thank you for your dedication, resilience and continued commitment to your learners.
Happy World Teachers’ Day!
Read the full address delivered by the Chief Publishing Officer, Oxford University Press East Africa, during the World Teachers’ Day 2026 celebrations. Download the full speech here