The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications in Cambodia is expediting plans to set up community tech centres in high schools throughout the Kingdom. Students will have the opportunity to attend classes with specialist teachers, enhancing their learning experience and digital technology skills.
Telecoms minister Chea Vandeth announced the ministry’s intention to establish these tech centres in high schools across the country. The centres will play a crucial role in providing practical hands-on training, as many schools currently only teach computer theory due to a lack of equipment.
While Vandeth could not provide a specific timeline for the rollout, he confirmed that construction has already begun at a high school in Takeo province’s Bati district. “We are starting with one school in Bati district, and then we will roll it out until every high school has its own technology centre,” he added.
The tech centres will be equipped with large screen TVs or monitors, enabling students to study online. Vandeth explained that students in rural areas often don’t have access to specialist teachers, who tend to be employed in urban centres like Phnom Penh. To address this, the ministry will video record lectures from specialist or outstanding teachers and play them for students in rural areas. Rural teachers looking to expand their knowledge can also learn from these videos.
Sim Rong, principal of Hun Sen Muoy Mithona High School in Peaream commune of Takeo province’s Bati district, said that the building for the first tech centre is under construction, and he expects the fit-out to be completed as soon as construction is finished. “I understand that the provincial post and telecommunications department is currently seeking bids for the equipment we will need. I expect we will be able to begin piloting the centre as soon as June,” he added.
Rong expressed excitement on behalf of the staff, students, and the entire community for being chosen as the first school in the country to pilot the project.
In addition to the tech centres, Vandeth confirmed the ministry’s plans to connect fibre optic internet cables to all commune administrations, police stations, and public health facilities in Cambodia by 2027.
Source: The Phnom Penh Post
