Developing a Digital Education Strategy for Schools in Cambodia

EdTech Hub has joined forces with UNICEF Cambodia to provide crucial support to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports’ Department of Policy (DoPo) in crafting a pioneering digital education strategy aimed at implementation within Cambodia’s school system.

The collaboration has been marked by a series of comprehensive workshops that engaged a diverse array of stakeholders, as EdTech Hub worked in close coordination with on-the-ground partners. Led by DoPo, with technical expertise from EdTech Hub, the workshops were centred around the application of  global evidence and principles for successful and sustainable digital education strategies.

The journey commenced in October 2022, with a kick-off workshop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital city. At this event, the strategy concept was introduced, and invaluable feedback and insights were collected from a wide spectrum of participants, including teachers, school leaders, policymakers, private sector representatives, and various development partners. The input received from this workshop guided the decision to create an action-oriented strategy, to be executed at the school level. Subsequently, close collaboration with DoPo led to the formulation of an initial draft of the strategy.

Fast-forward to September 2023, and the initiative progressed with two pivotal consultative workshops. The first workshop took place in the province of Kampong Cham and brought together school directors from various provinces. This particular session focused on validating the proposed initiatives within the strategy for implementation. Given the diverse digital development status of schools across the nation, the workshop concentrated on ensuring that these initiatives resonate with all schools, setting them up for success when it is time for implementation.

A second consultative workshop targeting national-level stakeholders was held in Phnom Penh. The aim was to explore diverse partnership modalities designed to support schools in the implementation of the forthcoming strategy.

EdTech Hub is continuing to support DoPo as they incorporate the insights and findings from the workshops to finalise the strategy. The highly anticipated strategy is scheduled for a public launch by the end of 2023. This collaborative effort promises to be a pivotal step in advancing digital education within Cambodia’s school system, offering students and educators new and innovative opportunities for learning and growth.