The National Police will collect information on issues regarding social order at educational institutions under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, a ministry announcement obtained by The Post on Sunday said.

The Ministry of Education has called on all public and private educational establishments under its supervision to collaborate with the National Police during investigations and when they gather information.

Ministry of Education spokesperson Dy Kham Boly told The Post on Sunday that regular collaborations between the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Interior were intended to improve social order and security.

“Cambodia’s education system is very large. We have more than three million students, 90,000 teachers, and 120,000 teaching and non-teaching employees."

“This is very big, so information should be passed on to the Ministry of Interior. We will collaborate on issues such as those related to drugs. In such cases, we will collaborate with the Ministry of Interior,” Kham Boly said.

As the education system used internal guidelines and a school management system, there had previously been nothing related to security issues that demanded such attention, Kham Boly said.

National Police spokesperson Chhay Kim Khoeun told The Post on Sunday that officials intended to gather information so as to take action to prevent any negative incidents before they occurred.

Yi Songky, director of the provincial department of Education, Youth, and Sport, told The Post on Sunday that he had received the Ministry of Education’s announcement and informed all institutions at the district level.

However, he said he was yet to know of National Police officials collecting information from the schools under his department.

“As we have received the announcement from the Ministry of Education, we will follow the instruction and collaborate with the police."

“We will welcome them because the police can talk about security at our schools including traffic and drugs issues, as well as problems stemming from a ‘gangster’ mentality. This is a good opportunity for educational organisations,” he said.

National Police could come into schools to talk about such issues as the wearing of motorcycle helmets, he said.

Songky said that regarding investigations, the National Police would gather an understanding of the situation at each school through reports from its principal.