Ten initiatives have reached the final stage of the UNESCO-Hamdan Prize for Teacher Development. UNESCO announced the finalists on 23 September 2026. Three winners were due to be named on 5 October, during World Teachers' Day celebrations. The winners share a total prize of 300,000 US dollars equally. The selection highlights different ways to help teachers develop their professional skills and support learning.
Among the finalists, a programme in Brunei encourages teachers to learn from one another. An initiative in Uganda connects training with classroom observation, helping professional learning continue beyond a course. These approaches draw attention to what happens after a workshop ends. Teachers need opportunities to exchange ideas and reflect on classroom practice. Being a finalist recognises an initiative's work, but it does not mean that it has already won the prize.