(MENAFN) As Cambodia prepares to open classrooms for the 2025-2026 academic year this November, the country has launched two nationwide initiatives aimed at ensuring that all children remain in school.

The campaigns, Caring Parents, Smart Kids and Your Choice, Your Future, are designed to provide children of all ages with access to inclusive, high-quality education.

“Improving learning outcomes and reducing dropouts remain central priorities of our Education Strategic Plan,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Chuon Naron said.

“While Cambodia has made significant progress in expanding access to education, we must ensure that every child not only enters school but also completes it with the skills needed for life and work,” he added.

Naron explained that the campaigns will focus on early childhood development, inclusive learning, and tackling the factors that contribute to premature school leaving.

“Together, we are working to build an education system that is equitable, resilient, and responsive to the needs of every learner across Cambodia,” he said.

Official figures show that in 2023, roughly 3 million children were of school age in Cambodia, with about 300,000 not attending school. By 2024, dropout rates remained high, with 15.5 percent of students leaving at the lower secondary level.

“Quality education is not a dream, it is a duty. And the future of our children cannot wait,” said Will Parks, UNICEF representative in Cambodia.

“We must act now to ensure that every child is seen, supported, and given a fair chance,” he added. Parks noted that the campaigns aim to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and reinforce support systems to help children stay in school and improve learning outcomes, with particular attention to early childhood education, inclusive environments, and the most vulnerable students.

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