Children in rural areas are reaping the benefits of the government having completed 306 of the 580 schools it began constructing last year, senior ministers said yesterday.

Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Im Sithy said during the ministry’s annual meeting in Phnom Penh yesterday that the government was giving “students everywhere” a chance at a quality education.

“The Ministry of Education has built more schools, focusing on border and rural areas – areas where providing education can be difficult,” he said, adding that the government would finish the remaining schools soon before building more.

The government has also repaired more than 300 schools that were damaged when floods ravaged the country in September, Im Sithy said.

President of the Cambodia Independent Teacher’s Association Rong Chhun said a lack of schools in rural areas was still a problem.

“In some areas such as Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey, students study under a tree,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Sen David at [email protected]