The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has introduced five standards for public primary schools to achieve model status, with a focus on improving the overall quality of education. Hong Menea
The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport has introduced five standards for public primary schools to achieve model status, with a focus on improving the overall quality of education. Operational guidelines for the 2023-2024 academic year were unveiled on November 14, outlining a comprehensive framework.
Minister of Education, Hang Chuon Naron, highlighted in the guidelines that model standard schools excel in key areas: student performance, teaching and learning, community involvement, operational school administration and school accountability.
Chuon Naron emphasised the guidelines’ objective of enhancing education quality in Cambodia involves implementing model school standards recognised by Prime Minister Hun Manet.
“To attain the status of a model standard school spanning from kindergarten to secondary levels, the ministry has outlined essential measures and indicators. These encompass enhancing school governance, revising and designing curricula and tailoring extracurricular activities to bolster students’ knowledge, discipline, ethics and behaviour,” the minister explained.
He further mentioned the implementation of child nutrition programs and the monitoring of school food quality to safeguard students’ health. Additionally, fostering the active engagement of parents, guardians and the community in education aligns with the state’s partnership and community-focused approach.
President of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA), Ouk Chhayavy, stated on November 15 that the drive to establish model standard schools, spanning from kindergarten to high school, requires teachers to exert extra effort in reinforcing teaching. She underscored the necessity for the ministry to allocate additional funds to schools to ensure the successful implementation of this initiative.
“We observe that students are still required to make payments to attend school, necessitating schools to have more substantial budgets. However, if these funds are sourced from the public, it could exacerbate their financial burden amid the ongoing financial crisis,” she remarked.
During events commemorating the 26thTeachers’ Day in October, the Manet officially introduced the model standard school initiative and the “Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Award” for schools maintaining these standards throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.
He urged relevant stakeholders to actively contribute to the comprehensive development of all schools, spanning from kindergartens to secondary schools, aligning with the standards established by the government and the education ministry, ensuring high efficiency.
