The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport teamed up with UNICEF for a consultative workshop on August 17. The focus was the “Mid-Term Review of Cambodia's Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4)-Education Roadmap 2030”.

The workshop's intent, according to the ministry, was to assess progress regarding the nation’s SDG 4.

The event aimed to pinpoint major challenges and hurdles the ministry faces, encapsulate insights and experiences, underscore best practices, pinpoint definitive data, and spotlight forthcoming strategies and priorities.

Additionally, the intent was to ensure the continual observation and appraisal of all objectives and suggest potential policies.

Ministry secretary of state Nath Bunroeun highlighted several points for the draft mid-term review of this roadmap.

His main goals were to collate feedback from all pertinent parties, assess the nation’s capability to meet global benchmarks, and review indicators within the SDG 4.

Bunroeun also pointed out the importance of integrating these indicators into the Education Strategic Plan 2024-2028.

Further elaborating, he mentioned the initiative's aspirations to transform typical schools into exemplary institutions.

This transformation would be achieved through the adoption of robust governance practices, focusing on decentralisation, accountability, transparency and participation.

"The essence of education should centre on students' performance, measured by standardised tests at local, regional and international tiers," he noted.

Yet, he did not shy away from mentioning the evident hurdles, which encompassed missed academic hours and an inadequacy of educational resources.

“We have initiated consistent assessment mechanisms, directing our efforts towards the holistic development of human capital. This encompasses knowledge enhancement, skill-building, behavioural refinement, and health,” he added.