Sweden support quality education throughout Cambodia's Covid-19 recovery

The Embassy of Sweden in Phnom Penh recently joined Cambodia’s Minister of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS) together with the partners in Capacity Development Partnership Fund (CDPF) in a field visit to celebrate school reopening in Kampong Chhnang.

Apart from Sweden, the partners supporting the CDPF are the EU Delegation, USAID, GPE, and UNICEF, the Embassy said in a statement.

During the visit, the delegation met with the school directors and teachers observing young students’ learning and they spoke with teachers, students, and families about the challenges of Covid-19. They also spoke about teaching and learning and the progress of school reopening together with how the Home Learning Packages supports children to catch up with their learning, both at school and at home.

The Home Learning Packages were created by MoEYS with funding from CDPF partners to support learning during school closures and as they begin to reopen. The packages include age-appropriate self-study materials to improve reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics. Information on how parents can support their children’s education and protect them from COVID-19 is also included.

While most schools in Cambodia re-opened on 1 November, many are using a blended approach that combines face-to-face and home learning. The Home Learning Packages can be used both in the classroom and at home.

During the visit, His Excellency Hang Chuon Naron, Cambodia’s Minister of Education, Youth, and Sport, said: “As the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and schools reopen, the education of our youngest children is a top priority. The Learning Packages will make sure that children can learn effectively. We appreciate the support of valued partners such as the SIDA, USAID, UNICEF, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), and the EU in helping us support students through this difficult time. They are the latest evidence of the deep, long-term collaboration between MoEYS and partners.”

Commenting on the matter, Magnus Saemundsson, First Secretary of the Embassy of Sweden said: “We are very proud that we have been able, together with our partners in the CDPF, to support the MoEYS in mitigating the effects that the school closure has had on learning during the pandemic. The learning losses for students in Cambodia are huge although the innovative and immediate digital responses of the MoEYS have moderated these losses. The Home Learning Package is another important intervention that will have a long-term effect on reading and learning.”