PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Education has officially announced that all schools in the kingdom, both primary and secondary and public and private, can reopen from Monday 1 November.

Schools must be able to implement the Health Ministry’s protocols:

All public and private schools will be back in class, but with a classroom capacity of up to 20 students and the strict use of facemasks throughout the day. Other sanitary measures include regular hand washing and sanitizing.

As was the case with the reopening of secondary schools, primary schools must have only vaccinated teachers in class and parents are asked to provide a packed lunch so that their children do not have to leave school premises to get food.

The reopening of primary schools comes almost nine months after they were closed in response to the 20 February Community Transmission Event.

EAC News asked parents how they were feeling about the reopening of school for their children. One mother said:

 “I am so happy that the prime minister is reopening the school for my children. I am happy because they had stopped for so long and they used to learn on telegram so they can’t really get what the lesson is mainly about.”

The children are also excited to reunite with their friends at school:

“I feel very happy that the school is reopening. I also feel a bit nervous too”

“I felt happy when the prime minister decided to reopen the school. I did. I do miss my school, my friends and the school where I used to study”.

The Prime Minister announced on Friday that in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak at the school, those affected should be taken to hospital, but the school does not have to close. Cambodia’s new normal is here.