Children play together at a community-based childcare centre in Kampong Speu province. FB
Educational experts commend the government’s new policy, which mainly focuses on community nurseries, as a civilised step akin to practices in some other ASEAN countries.
This comes in light of an inter-ministerial meeting aimed at establishing child care facilities, convened by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.
Chaired by ministry secretary of state Kim Sethany, the December 19 meeting was attended by representatives of the Department of Early Childhood Education; the National Committee for Early Childhood Care and Development (NCECCD); the National Centre for Health Promotion (NCHP); the National Maternal Child Health Centre (NMCH); the Department of Planning, Statistics and Legislation; health specialists; and other relevant institutions.
The ministry expressed in a statement that the group aimed to prepare drafts, share perspectives and experiences for establishing professional and sustainable community nurseries. The initiative intends to alleviate the burdens of parents and enhance focus on human resource training from childhood.
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Kong Samneang, head of the Federation of Education Services in Cambodia, praised the policy on December 20, noting that establishing and managing nurseries is a novel step towards improving the livelihoods of people and enhancing the quality of education.
“It was beneficial for the government to pay close attention to establishing the nurseries. It marks another step in making our country civilised and improving the quality of education,” he stated.
Prime Minister Hun Manet has advocated for the establishment of day care facilities, emphasising their role in prioritising human resource development from an early age.
Addressing the launch ceremony of the Voluntary Contribution to Health Care through Social Security Scheme for self-employed persons and members of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) on November 14, Manet highlighted the importance of community facilities in promoting infant health and education.
“Our establishment of community nurseries and pre-schools is instrumental in contributing to infant healthcare through nutritious food and education,” he added.
