Damnok Toek, in partnership with the Cambodia Consortium for Out of School Children (CCOSC) led by Aide et Action (Action Education), and Manos Unidas, celebrated the official inauguration of the newly constructed “Lifelong Learning Center” in an effort to promote non-formal education for street children and reduce the risk of exploitation and trafficking among children and youth on the Thai-Cambodian border.
The new building is a significant renovation of the existing Non-Formal Education (NFE) Centre run by Damnok Toek and co-funded by Aide et Action (Action Education), which has been providing access to education for vulnerable and marginalized out-of-school children in Poipet, Banteay Meanchey province, since 1999.
On 2nd September 2022, Damnok Toek held the inauguration ceremony at the Center for Non-Formal Education. Present at the ceremony were the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and the sub-national authorities in Banteay Meanchey Province, in addition to representatives from donor and partner organizations.
As part of its strategy to become a middle-income country by 2030 and an upper-income country by 2050, Cambodia established the National Policy on Lifelong Learning in 2019. The policy is intended to reduce the inequality of education received by children across Cambodia. It does so by promoting non-formal education programs alongside the formal public school system.
Primary school enrollment in Cambodia is currently at 98%; however, the country still struggles with low secondary and higher education enrollment and high dropout rates. Once students drop out of school, the likelihood of them returning to education is quite low. This has implications for the quality of jobs people are likely to receive and contributes significantly to the perpetuation of the poverty cycle.
The new Lifelong Learning Center will provide access to education for vulnerable and out-of-school children with the aim of reintegrating them into the public school system. The new facility will feature three classrooms accommodating 40 students in grades 1 to 3, with the capacity to integrate 80 more children in the 2023 school year. Moreover, the LLC will serve as a venue to conduct youth-related activities, workshops and training sessions, and community events.
In addition, the new building was designed to be disability accessible in order to facilitate the inclusion of children with disabilities in the Non-Formal Education Program. All entryways and classrooms are equipped with ramps and the restrooms were built to accommodate wheelchair access.
The Lifelong Learning Centre represents a major collaborative achievement for multiple NGOs, government agencies, and networks working in tandem to design and construct a facility that will provide the opportunity to access education for marginalized and vulnerable children.
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