The commencement day of the new academic year marks the beginning of school life for children who have just reached school age and the return of all students nationwide to school.

Every year, the new academic year normally commences on October 1 at general public education institutions. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) has in the past two years rearranged the schedule for the academic year.

For the academic year 2020-2021, study at general public education institutions concluded on December 18, 2021 in accordance with Notification No85 of the Ministry of Education, dated November 23, 2021.

This article focuses on the teaching and learning processes in general public educational institutions for the academic year 2021-2022, based on the guidelines on the opening of kindergarten and early childhood education services, public primary schools and secondary schools for the 2021-2022 academic year.

In the academic year 2021-2022, the process of education in kindergarten, primary and secondary general public education continues to focus on the implementation of the five parts of child development, child-friendly school policies and student learning outcomes.

This is to ensure quality education within an equitable and inclusive environment and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all aligned with the goals and objectives of education reform and the education strategic plan.

Based on the current situation of Covid-19 pandemic nationwide, along with announcement of the socio-economic reopening in the new normal and the implementation recommended by Prime Minister Techo Hun Sen, MoEYS has issued three guidelines:

• Directive No88 dated December 20, 2021 on the “Opening of Kindergarten and Early Childhood Education Services in the Academic Year 2021-2022;

• Directive No84 dated December 17, 2021 on the “Opening of Public Primary Education Institutions in the Academic Year 2021-2022;

• Directive No86 dated December 17, 2021 on the “Opening of General Public Secondary Education Institutions in the Academic Year 2021-2022.

Through these three guidelines, MoEYS for public educational institutions from kindergarten to secondary school levels scheduled January 10, 2022 as the commencement date and October 31, 2022 as the closing date of the academic year 2021-2022, in which there will be two vacations.

The short vacation will run from from April 6-19, while the long vacation will run from November 1-30 for kindergarten and primary school levels, and from November 1 to December 31 for general public educational institutions.

MoEYS instructed all capital and provincial departments of Education, Youth and Sport, the municipal, district and commune offices of Education, Youth and Sport, and kindergarten and early childhood services, public primary and secondary institutions to implement several duties in the academic year 2021-2022. These include:

• The school opening ceremony;

• The sterilisation of educational institutions;

• School administration management;

• Teaching and learning management;

• Personnel management;

• Financial management;

• Monitoring and evaluation;

• The performance of programmes;

• Tasks during vacations.

Tasks related to the learning and teaching process for kindergarten and early childhood education services, public primary and secondary schools to be implemented in the school year 2021-2022 include:

Enhancement of hygiene in kindergarten and early childhood education services, primary and secondary schools by establishing new hygiene practices in their institutions in accordance with the “Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Reopening Educational Institutions in the Covid-19 Context” (published on October 7, 2020) of MoEYS issued on August 2020, and in particular to strengthen the Ministry of Health’s efforts to prevent and respond to the transmission of Covid-19.

Teaching and learning along the new normal for kindergarten and early childhood education services must focus on applying the fundamental principles for preschool programmes, such as:

• Teaching and learning must follow the fundamental principles for student centred and blended principles;

• Teaching and learning must be done through play and cooperation;

• Children are given confidence, encouragement and responsibility to learn safely and comfortably;

• Quality interactive learning techniques for children to acquire new knowledge, skills and attitudes from their learning environment;

• Children are responsible for their capacity building, with teachers as mentors and facilitators for children to learn better;

• Lesson plans must follow blended teaching methods;

• Establishing an effective mechanism to monitor children’s learning;

• Teaching and learning must operate according to age and culture, and with equality;

• Teaching and learning must be practical and scientific;

• Schools and teachers must interact with parents, communities and local authorities.

The kindergarten management committee shall guide and review the schedules and programmes that MoEYS broadcasts in relation to the teaching of each subject and grade level.

Group study or blended learning for public secondary schools must proceed through:

• Evaluation of the study area to prepare teaching and learning mechanisms, and to prepare specific plans with the approval of the local capital and provincial authority;

• Establishment of school management committee with the participation of local authority to provide information;

• Arranging group study by taking turns to ease the process of teaching and management;

• Continuing blended learning methods, such as online classes, providing handouts and in-class learning with the division of study shifts and groups, and practising hygiene measures on a regular basis;

• Encouraging e-learning students to use video tutorials and worksheets available on Telegram, websites or mobile applications;

• Continuing the implementation of blended learning methods through electronic devices for teachers to teach live, and to provide students with opportunities to practise self-study using textbooks and electronic devices;

• Conducting tests and evaluating student performance comprehensively with monthly, trimester and annual testing.

In addition, both public secondary and primary schools must set up distance learning classes through video tutorials and other materials provided by the Ministry of Education and partner organisations, and promote distance learning through the MoEYS official media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, television and official apps to provide more knowledge to students.

Teachers should continue distributing weekly take-home worksheets for self-study and comprehensively evaluating student performance by collecting, reviewing/correcting assignments and providing feedback on a regular basis.

Implementation of school curriculum

Kindergartens and standard community kindergartens must carry out full teaching and learning for 35 weeks, equivalent to 1,015 study hours per school year and 30 study hours per week, with one learning session equal to 30 minutes, in accordance with the MoEYS detailed curriculum for kindergarten.

Meanwhile, non-standard community kindergartens must continue to implement 20 study hours per week, or implement a detailed curriculum for the community kindergarten year 2021 depending on the actual situation.

Public primary schools must have prepared in accordance with the core curriculum of MoEYS. Certain core subjects, which are optional subjects in the academic year 2020-2021, must be completed in the first and second months of the new academic year in order to fill in additional knowledge on those subjects.

Meanwhile, the implementation of the school curriculum for public primary schools should focus on the revision of the core subjects, such as Khmer Language and Mathematics, with five hours a day or 25-27 hours a week having been taught in January and February 2022.

From March onwards, teaching and learning will follow the normal curriculum (all subjects) with five hours a day or 25-27 hours a week.

Public secondary schools must be prepared in accordance with the core curriculum of MoEYS. However, some core subjects, which are optional subjects in the academic year 2020-2021, must be completed in the first and second month of the new academic year in order to provide additional knowledge on those subjects.

These three 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 stakeholders of early childhood education services, public primary schools and public secondary schools to implement more effectively.

The Ministry of Education again calls on the public, educational staff, teachers, students, and all stakeholders to continue promoting health and hygiene in the Covid-19 context by consistently employing the SOPs to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in educational institutions.

MoEYS also requests them to participate in disseminating and implementing Directive No88 dated December 20, 2021 on the “Opening of Kindergarten and Early Childhood Education Services in the Academic Year 2021-2022; Directive No84 dated December 17, 2021 on “Opening of Public Primary Schools in the Academic Year 2021-2022”; and Directive No86 dated December 17, 2021 on “Opening of General Public Secondary Education Institutions in the Academic Year 2021-2022” for the smooth and successful operating process of learning and teaching in the academic year 2021-2022.

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