PHNOM PENH: Prime Minister Hun Manet gave a speech for Teacher’s Day where he emphasized the importance of quality schools and healthcare centers across the country. The PM said that his appointment mandates a stronger system where parents can be confident that their children will receive a quality education.

During the speech on October 5, the PM said that he will decentralize electoral power for school principals, allowing provinces to elect their own educational directors. This is part of a larger effort started during the last years of his father’s administration to delegate community decisions to a more local level, rather than a national one. The PM noted the importance of principals in the progress of education.

He specifically addressed the state of public schools, saying that it should be easy for parents to find quality education for their children. He said that in this term or the next, he will make sure that all public schools provide high-quality education, with a focus on K-12.