Representatives from the Embassy of Sweden together with UNICEF and MoEYS participated recently in a training course for teachers in positive discipline in Svay Antor district and a follow up on the effects in the classroom in Kandach primary school in Kand Chreach district, both in Prey Veng province. The field visit proved that when teachers began to use non-violent methods of discipline and classroom management, they very quickly saw positive relationships develop between them and their students. It also proved that the training for the teachers in positive discipline had an impact on the behaviour of the parents and the local communities.
Violence against children is prevalent in Cambodia also in schools. Teachers commonly use violent methods of discipline, including hitting, slapping, beating, choking, shouting, cursing, and refusing to speak to students. Experiencing violence in childhood can have long-lasting negative consequences on children’s physical, intellectual, and emotional development.
In response to the prevalence of violence against children in schools, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) in partnership with UNICEF, is implementing an impactful positive discipline programme with primary school teachers, supported by Sweden. The programme is implemented with the aim of promoting significant behaviour change by teachers, fostering secure, child-friendly, and non-violent relationships between teachers and their students. 
