The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport plans to establish a centre for digital education at the Preah Sisowath High School in Phnom Penh to develop e-learning programmes.

A ceremony will be held on Monday morning as repairs start on the section of the building where the centre is to be located. The ceremony will be presided over by Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron.

In a June 19 press release, the ministry said: “Digital education in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is important for Cambodia. We need many experts to work and manage all smart systems related to digital development.”

It said it has carried out reforms in educational establishments and has helped reform teacher training.

The ministry said distance learning can help students develop abilities in four areas – knowledge, skills, fitness and good conduct. They don’t need to be present at schools or meet with teachers directly, the press release said.

Based on past experiences of implementing e-learning programmes and future analysis, the ministry will develop infrastructure for digital education, said the press release.

First, it will develop infrastructure to manage data for digital education, such as data centres. It will then produce teaching videos to raise awareness of new teaching methods.

It will also establish a digital forum for e-learning and the education management systems, focusing on the context of education in Cambodia.

Ministry spokesperson Ros Soveacha declined to comment on the centre opening, referring reporters to Chuon Naron's press conference scheduled for Monday morning.