The Ministry of Education Youth, and Sport has announced a new public dictation contest aimed at improving the level of Khmer literature among of the people, especially students, in the digital age.

The January 21 competition, themed “Angkor Writing”, will be held on the west causeway of the Angkor Wat Temple. Some of the prizes that have so far been announced include cash, stays at luxury hotels and other spectacular rewards.

Yang Peou, secretary-general of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, noted that China is known for organising literary competitions including calligraphy or poetry since ancient times.

He believes that the dictation contest announced by the ministry has the potential to encourage more young people to appreciate the language of their ancestors, but warned that in order for the competition to be sustainable, it must be integrated with the Kingdom’s secondary school curriculum.

“I think it is good to organise this contest, but the important thing is that we need to stress its connection to the secondary education system, because then it will remind young Cambodians to remember to keep Khmer literature alive, and understands the value of the words that are used,” he said.

He added that the Khmer script and language represent an ancient civilisation and culture, so if young Cambodians become attached to it and enjoy using it, they will gain a deeper understanding of Khmer literature, which is thousands of years old. As the contest will be held in such an iconic historical location, he suggested that it would raise the profile of Khmer literature to the general public, especially students.

Education minister Hang Chuon Narong met with Lim Bunhok, deputy secretary-general of the National Assembly, to discuss the competition in late September.

Bunhok said the “Angkor Writing” dictation contest aims to improve the level of Khmer literature of the general population in the digital age, especially students, according to a ministry social media post.

“This programme is intended to draw the public’s attention to the importance of Khmer literature and will allow the participants to expand their general awareness of the subject matter of the writing,” he was cited as saying.

He added that the participants would gain valuable knowledge about the history of the Angkor archaeological site.

Chuon Naron assured him that he would prepare a thorough plan for the competition and establish an organising committee and sub-committees.