Phnom penh: The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports (MoEYS) and Japan's Surala Net Co., Ltd. have signed an agreement on teaching mathematics digitally in the Khmer language, aimed at strengthening Cambodian students' mathematics skills and enhancing the development of Khmer-language teaching materials.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, the agreement was signed on Aug. 21 at the MoEYS office by H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of MoEYS, and Mr. Takahiko Yunokawa, President and CEO of Surala Net Co., Ltd., in the presence of representatives from the Cambodia International Education Support Foundation (CIESF).
The project focuses on improving the quality of essential teaching materials, integrating ICT into mathematics instruction, and enhancing the mathematical skills of Cambodian children to better compete at the international level. It also prioritises teacher empowerment in the effective use of EdTech, curriculum development, and addressing key challenges in public education during the trial stage.
Mr. Yunokawa briefed the Minister on recent cooperation with MoEYS in introducing online mathematics and science lessons for lower secondary students (Grade 7). He highlighted that Khmer has now been added to Surala Net's multilingual online teaching platform, which previously included English, Bahasa Indonesia, Sinhala, and Tamil.
H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron expressed appreciation for the company's efforts in translating mathematics materials into Khmer and integrating them into its digital curriculum for Cambodian learners. He also congratulated Surala Net Co., Ltd. on being selected by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to receive assistance under the Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project Subsidy programme, which supports educational development projects for Cambodian children.
The Minister further thanked the Government of Japan for its continued support for Cambodia's national development, particularly in promoting education. He stressed that the Japanese math programme will raise the level of mathematics learning among Cambodian students and instructed MoEYS' specialised working group to collaborate closely with Surala Net Co., Ltd. to ensure the effective and successful implementation of the projects in line with Cambodia's vision for sustainable development and the promotion of youth competitiveness.