Cambodia considers extending school hours from 4 to 6 a day

Phnom Penh, Cambodia – In a bid to enhance the quality of national education, Prime Minister Hun Manet has proposed extending daily study hours in public schools from four to six, with a focus on strengthening students' foundational knowledge in Khmer language and mathematics, according to a report on 28 October by Khaosod English.

Speaking to top-performing students, Hun Manet highlighted that the current four-hour teaching schedule forces educators to cut too many lessons, impeding in-depth study of crucial subjects. To test the feasibility of the proposal, an additional two hours of afternoon classes have already been implemented. The prime minister directed the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Economy and Finance to evaluate the feasibility of the plan and create an implementation strategy.

Longer school hours could alleviate parents' childcare burdens by reducing unstructured free time for children, according to Hun Manet. The proposed changes aim to bolster the quality of public schools across the nation by incorporating successful practices from existing model schools.