Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Private schools reopen after end of ‘Nov 28 event’

Private schools reopen after end of ‘Nov 28 event’

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The education ministry allowed private schools to reopen on Tuesday. Hean Rangsey

Private schools reopen after end of ‘Nov 28 event’

Private educational institutions have been allowed to reopen from December 29 while the 2020-2021 academic year for public schools will resume on January 11, according to a notice from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

All schools are required to continue implementing health safety measures.

In a statement, minister Hang Chuon Naron said the decision applied to all private schools which had previously been permitted to open during the first and second phases of reopening earlier this year.

“Private educational establishments that received permission from the ministry must continue to carry out the standard procedures for reopening in the context of Covid-19. Students must be socially and physically distanced. When necessary, students must wear face masks on the campuses,” he said.

Public schools will follow the same guidelines when reopening. Students could again be required to wear masks at school in the event of a new outbreak.

In his December 29 address to the nation announcing the official conclusion of the November 28 community incident – a reference to the first confirmed case of Covid-19 local transmission – Prime Minister Hun Sen said it was time to begin reopening schools.

School closures have a taken a huge toll on Cambodia and the world alike, the prime minister said. He noted that while some children had been able to continue attending schools and some had been able to take classes online, many others were completely without such opportunities.

“I have approved the request by Chuon Naron on December 29, and January 11 is set for resuming the 2020-2021 academic year,” Hun Sen said.

He described the complex circumstances the world is facing as the “new normal” and instructed the education and health ministries to continue cooperating and innovating solutions that will keep the Covid-19 infection at bay.

“If we depend only on health workers, teachers and students to deal with the new normal without addressing it ourselves, we will have a problem. We must determine how best to proceed with the academic year,” Hun Sen said.

Following Hun Sen’s address, the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training also announced that technical and vocational institutions would also be allowed to reopen, effective immediately.

MOST VIEWED

  • Joy as Koh Ker Temple registered by UNESCO

    Cambodia's Koh Ker Temple archaeological site has been officially added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 17. The ancient temple, also known as Lingapura or Chok Gargyar, is located in

  • Ream base allegations must end, urges official

    A senior government official urges an end to the allegations and suspicions surrounding the development of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, now that Prime Minister Hun Manet has addressed the issue on the floor of the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78). Jean-Francois Tain, a geopolitical

  • Cambodia set to celebrate Koh Ker UNESCO listing

    To celebrate the inscription of the Koh Ker archaeological site on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, the Ministry of Cults and Religion has appealed to pagodas and places of worship to celebrate the achievement by ringing bells, shaking rattles and banging gongs on September 20. Venerable

  • CP denied registration documents by ministry

    The Ministry of Interior will not reissue registration documents to the Candlelight Party (CP). Following a September 21 meeting between ministry secretary of state Bun Honn and CP representatives, the ministry cited the fact that there is no relevant law which would authorise it to do

  • Cambodian diaspora laud Manet’s UN Assembly visit

    Members of the Cambodian diaspora are rallying in support of Prime Minister Hun Manet’s forthcoming visit to the 78th UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) in the US’ New York City this week. Their move is an apparent response to a recent call by self-exiled former

  • After three deferrals, Capital Gains Tax to take effect Jan 1, 2024

    The General Department of Taxation (GDT) will implement the Capital Gains Tax starting January 1, 2024 to after being deferred three times as industrial players warn that the implementation might have some negative impact on the property market growth, which is down due to the economic downturn.