The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has officially given approval for the Australian Centre for Education (ACE) to reopen, welcoming students back to campuses while strictly adhering to the Ministry’s standard operating procedures (SOP).

Approval came after an on-campus assessment by health experts from the Health Ministry’s Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), and an inspection led by Minister of Education HE Dr Hang Chuon Naron.

Named one of the top four language educators globally at the PIEoneer Award Ceremony in London in 2018, ACE operates six campuses in Cambodia offering premium English language teaching and relevant international education services to mainly high school/university students, business professionals and government officials of more than 30 nationalities.

ACE was established by IDP Educationin 1992 to support the UN in preparation for the first general election in Cambodia. IDP Education – a global leader in international student placement and education services – was established by the Australian Government in 1969 to help channel development assistance to developing countries.

IDP Education is currently part-owned by Australian universities and operates more than 100 offices in over 30 countries worldwide, connecting students to international education of their choice.

Since March, ACE students have been studying by distance through interactive face-to-face virtual delivery, leveraging world-class video conferencing platforms and learning management system (LMS) apps to ensure that effective learning continued. As part of the reopening, ACE plans to allow students to gradually come to campus, voluntarily, in stages and for two to three days a week while continuing to support them with virtual study for the rest of the week.

ACE students enrol for the new term with social distancing measures in place. Supplied

“Those coming to the campus are required to adhere strictly to health and preventive measures as everyone has a shared responsibility to fight Covid-19, to protect themselves, their family and their community,” said ACE campus manager Thida Sok.

“We have seen very few new cases reported so far in Cambodia,and I’m thankful for all the effort by the government of Cambodia, in particular the Ministries of Health and Education, on Covid-19. As ACE starts allowing students to come back to campuses gradually, we hope the Covid-19 situation will continue to improve further, meaning we cannot scale down our efforts to fight the virus–the health and safety of our teachers, staff, students and their families remain our highest priority.”

"I’m grateful to MoEYS and the Australian Embassy, personally Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron and Ambassador Pablo Kang, for their support, guidance and advice so far during this challenging time,” said ACE principal Ashley Irving.

For many years, ACE has been at the forefront of corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to assist the community, and it received two awards at the Global CSR Summit and Awards Ceremony in Malaysia in 2018.

With the impact of Covid-19, ACE has introduced new initiatives to support the learning of students, such as awarding 2,000 scholarships to Grade 12 students throughout Cambodia and providing distance learning opportunities in preparation for their 2020 high school graduation exams.

More than 1,500 further scholarships have been offered over the past four months to assist students experiencing financial hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic. All thishave been made possible through the contribution of time and expertise from hundreds of ACE teachers and staff.

Recognition for ACE’s CSR achievements at the Global CSR Summit and Awards Ceremony in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Supplied

Having confidence in the future of Cambodia’s education sector, ACE recently established its sixth campus serving Phnom Penh's Chak Angre and Chbar Ampov districts, as well as Ta Khmao town and nearby neighbourhoods.

ACE’s newest campus in Chak Angre, which is often referred to by students as ACE Ta Khmao. Supplied

Education Minister Chuon Naron said MoEYS, with the support of various ministries and institutions, will continue to dedicate all its efforts to providing effective and accessible quality education to students across Cambodia, with the safety of students and communities the top priority.

For study counselling or enrolment support call 023 231 100 or check out the ACE Facebook page.