MOU with MoEYS in Cambodia

On 15 March,the Ministry of Education, Youths and Sport has signed the agreement withOrganization to Improve Communication and Swallowing Therapy in Cambodia (OICCambodia) to implement the project of developing speech therapy servicesupporting in the education sector in Cambodia working across 5 provinces,Phnom Penh, Kandal, Kampong Cham, Battambang and Siem Ream from 2019 to 2024.

This projectaims to take part in the global movement towards SDGs through developing thework of Non-Formal and Lifelong Learning in line with "Education StrategicPlan 2014-2018" and National Policy on lifelong learning led by the byMinistry of Education, Youth and Sport. As Speech Therapy in a new professionin Cambodia, the following text sets out a common understanding of how the OICCambodia project activities will be designed and implemented, as well as howSpeech Therapy can support the Education Sector in Cambodia.

To getimpacts by implementing the project, OIC Cambodia is working to focus on fivemain activities:

 1-Build Capacity of Cambodia: build the capacity of pre-school, primary school and secondary teachers to support children with communication difficulties within their classroom, this assists to Education 2030 Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action Towards Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All.

2-Build Capacity of Trainer and Lecturers at the Teacher Training Colleges: this supports to Teacher Policy Action Plan (TPA) in the content of rationalising teacher to meet the needs of educational institutions.

3-Strengthen Early Childhood Sector: to identify children with communication difficulties such as a development tool to screen children's speech sound, and screening tool for communication abilities and language development so on, this assists to National Policy on Early Childhood Care and Development.

4-Establish University Speech Therapy Course: to enable development of high-quality Cambodia speech therapy profession, this assists to the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport's Education Strategic Plan and their stated vision "to establish and develop human resources of the highest quality and ethically sound to develop a knowledge-based society in Cambodia".

5-Work jointly with the Education Research Council (ERC): to share research findings and jointly design the future research project, growing the evidence base for speech therapy in Cambodia, this support to policy on research Development in the education sector.

6-Support the development of a "model" special education classroom for children with Autism and other significant communication difficulties within a mainstream private school in Phnom Penh: use this as a training location for practical internships for teachers from government and other settings to learn about supporting children with significant communication difficulties within the school setting.

Notice thatOIC Cambodia was officially recognised from the Ministry of Interior inCambodia on October 2017, and become CCC full member on 25 October 2018. CCC,which known as Cooperation Committee for Cambodia, is a leading membershiporganisation with nearly 170 Local and International Non-GovernmentalOrganizations (NGOs) in Cambodia.