The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) held a workshop titled “From Partnership to Impact: Participating in the Development of a Professional School Teachers and Leaders Standards Instrument in ICESCO Member States” in Lyon, France, on Saturday, 24 October 2026. The workshop brought together teachers, school leaders, and education experts from various countries and took place on the sidelines of IBO’s Third Global Conference.

The workshop opened with remarks by Dr. Ahmed Albanyan, Head of ICESCO’s Education Sector, who highlighted the role of teachers and school leaders in improving the quality of education. He stressed that, through its joint project with IBO to develop the “First ICESCO School Teachers and Leaders Standards and Practice Instrument,” the Organization seeks to provide its Member States with a framework for professional standards that takes into account national priorities and cultural contexts. The aim is to make a tangible difference in school life, support teachers’ professional growth, and uphold the values of dignity, equity, professional integrity, and responsibility.

This was followed by a joint presentation by Mr. Waqas Afridi, an expert in ICESCO’s Education Sector; Ms. Kiri Stevenson, Senior Education Systems Solutions Manager at IBO; and Ms. Pamela Bender, Global Head of Education Standards at IBO. The presentation outlined the project’s objectives and methodology.

The workshop’s interactive activities aimed to engage teachers, education experts, and school leaders in identifying the professional practices that characterize effective teaching across different contexts and examining the ICESCO–IBO methodology, which focuses on balancing common standards with flexibility, the purposeful use of standards, the relationship between the expectations placed on school teachers and leaders, and the practical conditions required for success.