Gov’t adopts national lifelong learning policy

THE adoption of a national policy outlining lifelong learning opportunities for all Cambodians has been approved and is set to be implemented in the near future, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport said on Friday.

The Council of Ministers approved the policy during a meeting which was presided over by Prime Minister Hun Sen on Friday.

By implementing the policy, the government is committed to equipping people with aptitudes, moral conducts and values in order to strengthen the national economy and promote lifelong harmony in society, the ministry wrote in its Facebook account.

It added that the policy outlines the visions and strategies to enable all citizens to study all the time, anywhere and with all means.

The policy dictates that access to education in all forms will be provided to all Cambodians so that they could hone the essential skills to boost economic productivity, income levels and structural effectiveness, all of which are relevant in the age of information technology, the ministry said.

Ministry spokesperson Ros Soveacha said the policy would urge Cambodians to become universal citizens in line with the societal needs and global trends, especially in the context of the job market.

“All relevant parties had participated in the in-depth discussions concerning the national policy,” he told The Post.

Soveacha noted that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport would collaborate with all relevant parties to create a framework for action to implement the policy “in the near future”.

The promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all is one of the objectives that are essentially captured in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4.

In May 2015, the Incheon Declaration towards inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all was adopted at the World Education Forum.

The declaration stated that people of all ages, including adults, ought to have the opportunities to learn and continue their studies.

It stressed that from the beginning, lifelong learning at all levels should be embedded in the education system through a strategy and policies of the institutions, an adequately resourceful programme and strong partnerships at the local, regional, national and international levels.

The declaration paved the way for the adoption of Education 2030 Framework for Action in November 2015.