PHNOM PENH, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia launched here on Friday a new five-year action plan (2022-2026) on early childhood care and development, aiming at ensuring that no child is left behind.

Hosted by the National Committee for Early Childhood Care and Development, which includes 11 government ministries, the event was attended by more than 250 government officials, alongside the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)-Cambodia and other development partners.

According to a news release after the event, the government committed more than 10 million U.S. dollars during the next five years towards the realization of the plan, prioritizing an expanded early learning curriculum, improved teaching materials, and a strengthened pre-school teaching workforce.

Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Hang Chuon Naron said all children, from conception to age under six, especially disadvantaged, vulnerable and poor children, shall be provided with care and development services, in line with the kingdom's constitution.

"Cambodia has already enrolled 60 percent of five-year-old children in early childhood education programs and is now striving to reach the final 40 percent who don't currently benefit from the life-changing impact of early learning," he said at the event.

"We encourage parents to play an active role in early learning, as pre-school teachers will also be working with caregivers to help them understand and support their children's lessons," he added.

The minister said the ministry will continue to focus on high-quality teaching through continuous training for teachers, especially in inclusive and multilingual education.

There are an estimated 1.7 million children under the age of five, around one in 10 of the population, the news release said.

"The years between birth and the age of three are the most important in a child's life, a period when the brain grows faster than at any other time," said UNICEF-Cambodia program deputy representative Anirban Chatterjee.

"It's an opportunity to put in place a foundation of nurturing care and education that will benefit these young Cambodians for the rest of their lives," he added. Enditem

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