Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the inaugural ceremony of the China-aid project for the improvement of school environment and educational facilities in Cambodia (CPISEEF) [Unofficial Translations]

Selected Comments of Samdech Thipadei Hun Manet, at the inaugural ceremony of the China-aid project for the improvement of school environment and educational facilities in Cambodia (CPISEEF) [Unofficial Translations]

CMF: 26/10/2024

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(1) Education achievements in three provinces

I am happy to come to Kang Meas district (of Kampong Cham province) for the 20th time […] I had been here previously either to inaugurate new achievements or to meet with young people. However, mostly, I am here for the inauguration of religious achievements, schools, pagodas. Today, we are here for the inaugural celebration of the many achievements, which have been realized, according to the report of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, in three provinces in the common interest of the schools here for the students, the teachers, and the children of the people in this area. You have congratulations on the new achievements and I am sure they are of benefits for the children, students, and the teachers and people […]

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(2) Education-focused project – an important part of relationship between Cambodia and China

The inaugural celebration of the “China-Aid Project of Improving School Environment and Educational Facilities in Cambodia (CPISEEF)” achievements […] in 2024 – is also commemorating the year of Cambodia-China people-to-people exchange […] whereby, the interconnectivity in terms of investment, education, and tourism included is indeed enhancing the relations and trust […] today’s education-focused project – an important part of the relationship between the people of Cambodia and China – is in line with the Royal Government’s policy of prioritizing on people […]

(3) Most of the teachers, physicians, and the civil servants have had their education and professional trainings in the 80s and 90s

In this case, the word people mean the Cambodians. I think most of the teachers, the physicians, the students, and the civil servants here […] have had their education and professional trainings in the 80s and 90s. You are capable of performing local duties in Kang Meas, ensuring task ownership of all sectors in Kang Meas district, as well as district/commune administrations, all of which are possible because of the education and trainings in the post-1979 […]

(4) Human, roads, water, electricity and technology for Cambodia to keep up with other countries

Human, roads, water, and electricity are the priority (of the Royal Government) and coming into the seventh legislative term, we have added technology to keep up with others. Equipping digital technology, creating new classrooms, kindergartens in schools […] Were there no such education/trainings, we would not have Cambodians as engineers, national and sub-national strategic planners […] these achievements show that the people are having a better chance to benefit […] with infrastructural connectivity […] which has created opportunities for the children of the people of Cambodia, of Phnom Penh, of Kang Meas (district), of Kampong Cham (province), and the children everywhere to learn […]

(5) Deployment of schools to the local level, expanding and upgrading the level of education on the spot

In the future, as the population will increase, the living standard will improve, and the promotion of higher education will be available in some large districts, or we will have more connectivity infrastructure and more schools, we are to expand and deploy more schools – without concentrating in the provincial town or Phnom Penh. We will have more schools at the subnational level. Secondly, we will expand/upgrade the school level on the spot – where some will be upgraded from primary to junior level secondary school, and/or senior level secondary school, rather than students having to travel five to 10 km to a new school location. We expand by means of construction, upgrade the school by sending in more teachers, upgrading from primary to secondary, and from secondary to high school […]

(6) New buildings, technologies and educational programs are opportunities for Kang Meas children to receive the same training as those in Phnom Penh and provincial towns

(We need to apply this method especially) in the future, when it is more difficult to find land (to build more schools) […] new buildings, new technology, and new education programs are symbols of quality enhancement so that children of the people in the Kong Meas district can learn from the latest education program, modern technology training, computing training, thus they would not lose advantage to children in Phnom Penh and/or in provincial towns […] the project that our Chinese friends have helped is in line with our vision and policy (regarding education) […] in which, the children of Kang Meas can learn digital technology, computing, without having to go far away from home […]

(7) RGC strengthens local services through improving health and education facilities

In this seventh legislative term, the Royal Government has set a direction (to implement) one key rule to strengthen the people’s access to local services, whereas in the field of health, we are strengthening health centers and district referral hospitals […] in education, the key rule is to strengthen primary and secondary education, or the first 12 years (of education). For this term, the Royal Government focuses on strengthening the primary level. Indeed, the Ministry of Education (Youth and Sports) continues to with hundreds or thousands ongoing (reform and improvement) projects. What I have pointed out is just a small project to further strengthen, promote, supplement primary education […]

(8) Revising plan to strengthen learning subjects ready for technology advancement

Education is not a one-day process […] should we are to compete in the coming ten years, we needed to put in place the correct education program now. The Ministry of Education (Youth and Sports) has launched a series of education program reforms, and most recently, under the leadership of HE Hang Chuon Naron, we have revised the plan to promote the strengthening of learning subjects ready for serving the advancement into technology […]

(9) Regular evaluation of education policies and updated curriculum

(There is a need to carry out) regular evaluation of education. We cannot be static. The Ministry of Education (Youth and Sports) has launched new teaching methodology packages for teachers […] curriculum should be adjusted appropriately, and regular assessments should be made to make sure students will be more capable […] sometimes, the teaching methods applied in the last ten or 20 years are no longer responsive to the programs that the current schools are teaching now.

Sometimes, even programs that have been edited and put into use, after a while, have to be reverted […] from the time that there were no study materials to the present that we have the materials, we have made this much progress, and there is always a need to constantly adjust the curriculum accordingly, and make regular evaluation so that (our education system will offer) the students clear and strong ability […]

(10) The annual national budget always has big shares on health and education

Teaching methods improvements as well as continuing investments in teachers, and in infrastructures are key directions. We have always given generous shares in the annual national budget for two major priority areas – health and education […] ranging from expenses on health care, on social support programs, to on support programs, which includes school meals […] and we will continue to provide Cambodian children everywhere, (so that they have an opportunity to sit in a good school) […] the population is growing quite fast […] in some areas, five years ago, there were only 500 students to enroll. Five years later, the enrollment has reached 1,000. One times two. We continue, however, to address teacher shortages and lack of infrastructure (to respond to such growing demand) […]

(11) In times of disaster, saving the lives of the people is a big deal

For this rainy season, we have been worried about the big flooding. Usually, there believed to have a big flood in the dragon year. This (dragon) year, however, is lucky for us. Five countries around us are the worst affected by the storm. Cambodia has had the least […] I would like to thank the National Committee for Disaster Management, His Excellency General Kun Kim, as well as relevant leaders at all levels, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Rural Development, all capital/provincial administrations, the armed forces for the effort they are making together to save the lives of the people as the prime objective. We have been able to save life, wealth, and we will further action for the restoration as time comes […] the leadership of nation-building would encompass every field – culture, religion, education, health, transportation, electricity, agriculture, trade […]

(12) people to participate in maintaining peace, stability and social security, and building lives and nation

The important factor for every achievement is the participation of the people […] firstly, the participation (of our people) in maintaining peace. I thank the people of Kong Meas district for taking parts in maintaining peace, despites the call (from some extremist elements) to put the country in flame, to defeat the government, to follow the example of what happened in Bangladesh. Our people across the country, however, understand the value of peace. Secondly, people understand the value of stability and security. If there were peace but there were no stability, there were chaos in villages, the communes are insecure, we would still have problems […] so it is important to maintain stability, social security […] and thirdly, our people shall participate in building their own lives, which is an important part in building lives of the nation. The Royal Government has set out policies to facilitate and improve livelihoods by attracting various investments […] however, people are the ones to try to seize the opportunity of peace, stability, security together, to learn and build capacity, and the country […]./.