PHNOM PENH: The Minister of Education has called on parents to ban their children from using their phones to play games and to instead encourage their children to read books.

Minister Hang Chuon Naron, made this statement at a press conference on Monday, 6 March 2023, on the occasion of the 8th National Reading Day which will be celebrated on 11 March, under the theme, "Reading is the path to the evolution of education."

The Education Minister said that parents should forbid their children from playing games and encourage them to read books by providing incentives and rewards if they can properly summarize the content of a book after reading it.

He added that in schools, it is forbidden to use phones to play games, but at home, he asks parents to discipline and lessen the time children spend playing games on their phone, as this can lead to the development of screen or gaming addiction and disrupt their learning.

The Minister also called on parents to set up their own libraries at home to promote reading, helping their children to develop reading habits and cultivate creative ideas.

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has said National Reading Day is held in order to promote reading culture and improve reading and writing ability to contribute to the protection and strengthening of Khmer culture among students, civil servants and everyone in Cambodia.