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Session Submission Summary

Highlighted Session: Leveraging Lessons from COVID-19 for stronger and more resilient early primary learning in Cambodia

Thu, April 21, 9:00 to 10:30pm CDT (9:00 to 10:30pm CDT), Pajamas Sessions, VR 124

Group Submission Type: Highlighted Paper Session

Proposal

Presenters: Ms. Sonthara Kong, World Education, Inc.; Ms. Olivia Byler, RTI International; Mr. Kann Puthy, Cambodia Primary Education Department(MoEYS)

Chair/Discussant: Mr. Sereisatya Ros, USAID Cambodia

As in many countries in South and Southeast Asia, Cambodia has faced a series of protracted school closures since the coronavirus19 (COVID19) pandemic was declared in March 2020. This panel will begin to tell our story one year in, in early 2021, when hopes for a return to “normal” were once again upended with closures just one month into the school year. Unlike the 2020 school year, when schools were closed at the start of semester two, students – especially those in grade 1 – were back at home with almost no in-person, explicit instruction on foundational skills. However, the Cambodia MOEYS, USAID, implementing partners and local education officials now had one year of experience and research on what works – and what is feasible – in supporting children’s development of reading skills at home, and as families face a myriad of challenges related to COVID19.

This panel of teacher professional development, M&E, and education experts will share experiences and findings on what worked, and how in refining and implementing a second year of COVID19 response interventions in Cambodia and developing an effective strategy to support schools re-opening. Panelists will draw on two mixed-methods studies conducted in January and September of 2021 in Cambodia, complemented by findings from monitoring data, program documents and reflection meetings to explain where programs and Ministries targeted the most time and resources- with caregivers, teachers, administrators, and children (including special consideration for learners with disabilities)- while highlighting the evidence that drove these decisions. The panel will carry the story of the turbulent past year through to the return to school in January 2022, reflecting on the research-informed strategies the MOEYS, USAID and partners adopted and the implications of lessons learned on future planning.

First, the chair (and discussant) will provide an overview of the Cambodian education context, highlighting the lasting impact of COVID19 as well as USAID Cambodia’s greatest concerns for supporting quality primary education looking forward. The first presentation will explain shifts in distance learning interventions in Cambodia from 2020 to 2021, highlighting the evidence and experiences that drove these changes, and sharing findings on which of these interventions work best, and under what conditions. The second presentation will present a new formative assessment and interview approach developed and used to inform targeted support when schools re-opened. The third presentation will discuss how these and other interventions fit into Cambodia’s national strategy for school reopening, the role evidence played in informing these strategies, and what interventions are being sustained and institutionalized by the MOEYS.

Finally, the chair (and discussant) will lead the panel in a discussion to lay out a practical vision for how the education systems in Cambodia can scale specific, evidence-based strategies coming out of the COVID19 response to mitigate the impact of COVID19 over the coming years, prepare for inevitable future shocks, and elevate the quality of teaching and learning in the foundational early grades.

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Individual Presentations