AKP Phnom Penh, September 10, 2025 --

H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, has urged national and international institutions, local communities, and every citizen to pay greater attention and actively support literacy, particularly digital literacy across formal, non-formal, and informal education.

He made the call this morning while presiding over the celebration of the 25th Anniversary of International Literacy Day (Sept. 8), held under the theme “Promoting Literacy in the Digital Era” in Kratie province. The event was attended by Kratie Provincial Governor H.E. Va Thorn, Chief of Education at the UNESCO Phnom Penh Office Ms. Esther Mcfarlane, and other relevant stakeholders.

The Deputy Prime Minister underlined the significance of the day as an opportunity to strengthen literacy nationwide, stressing that it is in the national interest for all Cambodians to collectively promote literacy.

He highlighted the Royal Government’s achievements in adult literacy, noting a 10-percent increase in the literacy rate over the last decade—from 77.6 percent in 2008 to 87.7 percent in 2019.

H.E. Hang Chuon Naron also shared the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports’ reform agendas, which include establishing New Generation Schools, integrating digital technology in teaching and learning, creating model schools at all levels, improving school governance, and updating curricula.

Improving literacy, he added, means providing more opportunities for Cambodian children to access early education, develop early reading and math skills at the primary level, and build strong foundations for knowledge, skills, values, and citizenship. Digital literacy, in particular, enables students to embrace science, technology, and innovation, preparing them for secondary and higher education.

On the occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister also read a message from Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet in celebration of the Day.

By L Vy