The academic year 2021-2022 concluded successfully with excellent results, including the results of the Grade 12 examinations.

In the academic year 2021-2022, the teaching and learning process at public educational institutions strongly focused on student achievement to ensure inclusive, quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as well as ensure participation and cooperation from parents, guardians, communities, local authorities and other stakeholders.

To improve the learning process and results in the academic year 2022-2023, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has issued guidelines and relevant tasks to departments of Education, Youth and Sport in the capital and across all provinces regarding the academic process in public educational institutions in the academic year 2022-2023.

This article focuses mainly on the conduct of teaching and the learning process in general public educational institutions for the academic year 2022-2023, based on the guidelines on the opening of kindergarten and early childhood education services, public primary schools and secondary schools in the academic year of the Ministry of Education.

The new academic year started on January 2, 2023 and will end on November 30, 2023 at all general public educational institutions.

January 2, 2023 was set as the official date for the opening of the academic year 2022-2023 nationwide.

The arrangement of the academic vacations is divided into two periods, with the short vacation from April 6 to May 18, 2023, while the long vacation will be from December 1-31, 2023.

The governing bodies of public educational institutions at all levels must establish hygiene practices in accordance with the “Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for the reopening of educational institutions in the context of Covid-19” issued on August 4, 2020.

At the same time, MoEYS has further instructed all capital and provincial departments of education, youth and sport, the municipal, district and commune offices of education, youth and sport, providers of kindergarten and early childhood services, and public primary and secondary institutions to implement:

• School administration management;

• Teaching and learning management;

• Educational staff management;

• Financial management;

• Monitoring and evaluation;

• The implementation of other programmes;

• Educational tasks during vacations.

Tasks related to the learning and teaching processes for kindergarten and early childhood education services, and public primary and secondary schools to be implemented in the school year include:

The implementation of curricula in kindergarten and early childhood education services, and public primary and secondary schools.

Kindergarten and early childhood education services providers shall implement full teaching and learning for 35 weeks, equivalent to 1,050 study hours per academic year and 30 study hours per week, with one study hour of 30 minutes according to the detailed curriculum for kindergartens.

Public primary schools shall follow the normal curriculum by teaching five hours a day or 27-30 hours per week, and teaching learning activities in Khmer literature and mathematics in the first, second and third weeks of February, March, May, June, July, August and September in 2023.

All public secondary schools must develop a curriculum in accordance with the Ministry f Education’s core curriculum.

The study schedule arrangement.

Kindergarten and early childhood education services providers shall follow the standard schedule, with classes starting at 7am and finishing at 10:30am for the morning session, with the afternoon session starting at 1pm and concluding at 4:30pm.

The primary school weekly study schedule.

Grade 1 to Grade 3 students shall study Khmer literature for 13 hours, mathematics for seven, social and science studies for three, physical education and health for two, and basic life skills for two to five hours.

Grade 4 to Grade 6 students shall study Khmer literature for 10 hours, mathematics for six, social studies for four, science for three, physical education, health and sport for two, and English and basic life skills for two to five hours.

Promoting digital education in schools.

Educational institutions at all levels shall set up distance learning classrooms with videos and other documents provided by MoEYS and partner organisations.

Distance learning will be promoted on official media such as Facebook, YouTube, television and official MoEYS apps to supplement student knowledge, and for organising meetings or student management and monitoring systems through Zoom, Google Meet and other apps.

Management and use of laboratories and information and communication technology (ICT) rooms.

Educational institutions with science laboratories shall arrange for laboratory staff and teachers in charge of overall or specific subjects to be responsible for managing equipment and available materials in the laboratory in collaboration with specialised teachers to organise experimental activity programmes.

Additional support through continued mixed teaching and learning will be provided by:

(i) Preparing students to self-study with the first and second worksheets for all lessons in Khmer literature, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, earth and ecology, history, geography, morality-civics and English;

(ii) Implementing multidisciplinary teaching with textbooks and worksheets, as well as electronic platforms;

(iii) Promoting self-study in libraries, with study in groups and at home through electronic platforms (TVK television, Facebook, YouTube and other official apps);

(iv) Encouraging parents and guardians to facilitate distance learning and student self-study.

In addition, MoEYS will continue to promote teaching and learning in the new normal, strengthen and expand the implementation of early grade reading and mathematics, as well as implement full-day teaching and learning at the primary level.

It will organise technical teams, teachers in charge of classes and specialised teachers, and help slow-learning students at all levels, as well as manage libraries and main textbooks, technical monthly meetings and monitor and evaluate student learning across the new academic year.

The Ministry of Education has issued three guidelines:

• Directive No44 dated December 05, 2022 on the “Opening of Kindergartens and Early Childhood Education Services in the Academic Year 2022-2023;

• Directive No45 dated December 05, 2022 on the “Opening of Public Primary Education Institutions in the Academic Year 2022-2023;

• Directive No46 dated December 05, 2022 on the “Opening of General Public Secondary Education Institutions in the Academic Year 2022-2023.

These guidelines set out detailed activities for the aforementioned points and were widely disseminated to all capital and provincial departments of Education, Youth and Sport, public kindergartens and all involved in early childhood education services, public primary schools and public secondary schools for more effective implementation.

MoEYS again calls on the public, educational staff, teachers, students, and all stakeholders to disseminate and implement these guidelines for the smooth and successful operating of learning and teaching in kindergartens, early childhood education, and primary and secondary education in the coming academic year.

All relevant stakeholders must continue to effectively apply the legal documents from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport still in force.