Schoolgirls wearing protective face mask wash hands at Bakheng primary school in Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changvar district. Hong Menea
Children’s rights and needs have to be put at the centre of all Covid-19 responses and ensure that no child is left behind, rights group Licadho said in its appeal to the government as the Kingdom marked International Children’s Day on June 1.
Licadho also urged the government and all stakeholders to ensure that children have equal access to quality education.
Children’s lives have been dramatically changed by extended suspension of in-person learning and strict lockdown measures, and more must be done to support and defend their rights and needs, it said in a statement.
Licadho deputy director Am Sam Ath said in the statement that children’s needs can no longer be an afterthought.
“The rights, wellbeing and voices of children must be a key priority in all responses to Covid-19 in Cambodia,” he said.
For more than a year, about 3.2 million students have experienced extended school closures even in low-risk areas. Closures have not affected students equally as children from poorer families with fewer resources and those living in rural areas have been left without adequate and fair access to education.
According to a joint statement on May 31 from six organisations including Save the Children and World Vision, the pandemic has deprived children of their most essential rights and put their childhood on hold. About one-third of children do not continue to study during school closures.
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport spokesman Ros Soveacha told The Post on June 1 that in the future, students across the country must continue to implement health guidelines including the “three protections and three don’ts” and use distance learning as the new direction for education.
“The ministry calls on parents to continue to support the learning process ... I understand this a difficult time, especially for distance learning, which requires the support of parents at home,” he said.
Soveacha added that parents should spend time at home with their children and read to them, choosing books or digital educational resources that children like to use in addition to textbooks.
Meanwhile, the Union of Youth Federations of Cambodia (UYFC) also issued a statement on June 1 saying children are an essential human resource for the future of the nation, so caring for children is about thinking and planning for the future of the country.
“During Covid-19, there has been a negative impact on the health, living conditions and education of children. The UYFC has contributed to the education ministry by establishing an additional distance education programme for distance learning in response Covid-19,” it said.
The UYFC will continue to work with the government to promote children’s rights, protect their welfare against all forms of violence, and take action to protect the rights and interests of children, especially in preventing the spread of Covid-19.
