The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport continues to advise teachers and parents of students to encourage study through e-learning by accessing lessons from the ministry’s website and social media.

In a press release on May 25, the ministry said that to assist students in their studies amid school closures, all primary and secondary schools need to follow "Compact Curriculum" for core subjects at all grade levels.

"To ensure students continue their studies, the ministry encourages all teachers and students to pursue distance learning as much as possible, especially through digital education resources for study aids," it said.

Digital resources recommended by the ministry include e-textbooks, instructional videos for all school levels, and individual worksheets created by the ministry and its partners.

The ministry said students can learn at their own pace through the ministry’s e-learning app, which provides many resources.

Ministry spokesman Ros Soveacha said schools can only reopen after the February 20 community outbreak ends, though the ministry has already determined a reopening strategy.

"Reopening schools in the future will focus on health safety in line with measures to promote a new life path in education," he said.

Pech Bolen, president of the Federation of Education Services in Cambodia, noted that most private schools in the provinces, especially language and early childhood education establishments, have decided to temporarily suspend activities.

"The suspension is due to the difficulties of online teaching and a lack of funding. Schools that can still operate are those that provide general education, higher education and those that mostly benefit families with higher incomes," he said.

Bolen said online learning does not provide the same standard of education as face-to-face lessons in the classroom, and early childhood students face the biggest challenges with online learning.