Cambodia plans to expand six-hour school day gradually
More pupils could get longer study days, but teacher shortages and school facilities are constraints.
Wednesday 4 November · 06:02 · 1 min read
In 30 seconds
- The six-hour school-day pilot operates in 200 public schools, about 6 percent of the country’s public schools. [1] [1]
- Prime Minister Hun Manet instructed the education ministry to expand the programme to schools able to support the longer day. [1] [1]
- The prime minister cited a shortage of more than 10,000 teachers and said teacher training produces about 3,000 new teachers a year. [1] [1]
What happened
Cambodia plans to expand its six-hour school-day programme beyond the 200 public schools currently taking part in a pilot. Prime Minister Hun Manet asked the education ministry to add schools that can accommodate the longer day, while the education and finance ministries assess how many can join. He said expansion would be gradual because of teacher shortages and inadequate school buildings.
Why it matters
If expanded, the programme would give more public-school students two additional hours of study each day. The source says the pace depends on whether schools have enough teachers and facilities; no nationwide timetable is given.
Background
The pilot covers about 6 percent of public schools and adds two hours to the school day. Cambodia had 13,948 public schools in 2025, according to figures cited by the article.
Key terms
- Pilot programme
- A programme tried in a limited number of places before possible expansion.
- Contract teacher
- A teacher hired under a contract to help fill staffing gaps.
Sources (1)
[1] Cambodianess Cambodia to Expand Six-Hour School Day Beyond 200 Public Schools 3 Nov Read originalWas this explainer clear?
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