AKP Phnom Penh, March 10, 2021 --

Cambodia will celebrate the importance of reading day with relevant partners tomorrow, according to a press release AKP received here this afternoon.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) and UNESCO are joining with development partners, schools, teachers and parents to emphasise the significance of reading and acknowledge the work that went into keeping learning going during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MoEYS and UNESCO invite students, parents and teachers to express their love for reading by sharing images of them learning or teaching on social media.

The celebration will held on Mar. 11, 2021 under the theme of “Reading in the Time of COVID-19”. MoEYS in collaboration with development partners has made significant gains in improving the quality of early grade reading in Cambodia under the national programme, “Komar Rien Komar Cheh” launched on Feb. 24, 2020. Under the programme, MoEYS has developed and introduced a new Khmer literacy teaching and learning materials package that incorporates age appropriate, inclusive and play-based techniques that make reading more accessible and enjoyable for students.

Under UNESCO’s Strengthening Teacher Education Programmes in Cambodia (STEPCam), with financial support from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and the Capacity Development for Education Programme (CapED), MOEYS has trained nearly 4,000 teachers in five provinces on the new Khmer literacy teaching and learning materials package.

School directors and teachers in target provinces have found that the new instructional techniques and materials are helping students with reading. For instance, Ms. Chanthol Pov who is the Vice Director of a primary school in Chhlong district, found that the students in her school began to read a lot more easily after implementation of the package. “The flow of content provided in the teacher guide also made it easy for teachers to develop lesson plan and follow instructions,” she added.

                                                                               (Photo: Phen Rattanak)

By Heng Panha