The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have collaborated to offer free online lessons called “Think! Think!” – an app that was launched on Wednesday to help children study online.

The app launch took place in the presence of Minister Hang Chuon Naron and JICA Cambodia senior representative Junichi Murata at the ministry.

“Think! Think! is a good learning tool to improve IQ, deep thinking and social skills. Students can enjoy learning with family at home,” Chuon Naron said.

He said the free online lessons were initially available on the ministry’s page and the Krou Cambodia community college. The lessons take place three days a week – on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5pm to 5:30pm.

He highlighted that the lessons included some 15,000 puzzles and games for children to learn.

The programme had helped more children, especially those who do not have the privilege of having an excellent internet connection at home because the ministry plans to air lessons on Decho TV starting soon.

Ministry spokesman Ros Soveacha confirmed on Thursday that the programme had provided the opportunity for students in grades 1-6 to enhance their thinking and mathematics capacity.

“The study programme is being broadcast on Krou Cambodia’s Facebook page,” he said.

The programme, he said, has provided benefits to children such as critical thinking skills, logical thinking skills, essential skills, problem-solving skills, and independent learning skills.

Concerning the closing of schools in the Kingdom due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry issued a notice on April 20 that it is collaborating with the Ministry of Environment to produce and air distance learning and e-learning programmes.

Through the programmes, the ministry had broadcast teaching videos at all levels on TVK2 as well as relayed them to 55 cable channels in the capital and provinces, the existing digital education forums of the Ministry of Education and also the Ministry of Information app.

The notice said the TV programmes are for students, especially those in the countryside, who don’t have smartphones or have difficulty accessing the internet.

The Ministry of Education confirmed that these TV channels will broadcast teaching videos for students at all levels from 8am to 12pm every day.