iLEAD International School, a social enterprise and a part of the Early Years Learning Alliance consortium – a consortium of NGOs, private sector representatives, and government committed to quality and accessible early childhood care and education – recently held a graduation ceremony to support students’ successful competition of preschool and its milestones in advancing quality early childhood education in Cambodia.
During the graduation ceremony for kindergarten students, iLEAD International School presented its achievements in the academic year 2021-2022 as well as its efforts to support community preschools across six provinces in Cambodia. The event was presided over and joined by Her Excellency Khun Rachana, undersecretary of state, representative of His Excellency Hang Choun Naron, Minister of Education Youth and Sports, Mr. Vorn Samphors, Country Director of Action Education (formerly Aide et Action) in Cambodia, school principal, students, parents, and community members.
Nationwide efforts to build early childhood education in Cambodia
iLEAD International School is part of iLEAD Education, a not-for-profit social enterprise, and the Early Years Learning Alliance. Under the Alliance, iLEAD Education and Action Education have supported community preschools in Kandal, Takeo, Prey Veng, Kep, Kampot, Preah Sihanouk, and Koh Kong provinces. The Alliance has contributed to building and renovating 41 community kindergartens and 45 classrooms throughout the 2021-2022 academic year, providing 6,500 Cambodian children (of whom 56% are female) with adequate study materials and providing 1,750 children with scholarships to support their studies.
iLEAD offers high-quality early childhood education to primary education incorporating both an international and national curriculum for children aged two and above. Incomes from iLEAD have been used to provide food to 200 children every day as well as construct 165 handwashing stations. Speaking at the graduation ceremony held on Saturday 2 August 2022, Vorn Samphors said “Together, we make learning full of motivation, participation and fun, building a great world for children to grow and prosper. »
Her Excellency Khun Rachana, Undersecretary of State from Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, stated that Action Education (formerly Aide et Action) has actively contributed to the education sector in Cambodia, especially in supporting early childhood education in Cambodia. She said, “This school [iLEAD International School] does not make any profit because it uses all its income to spend on projects that support vulnerable children and young people in rural communities. This initiative connects children studying in rural areas to those in the city, teaching them to support and live with each other harmoniously.”
Early Years Learning Alliance
Her Excellency Khun Rachana also appreciated the formation of the Early Years Learning Alliance initiative which is contributing to the improvement of human resources, especially within early childhood education through the establishment of quality education and enabling learning environment. At the event, Action Education and iLEAD International donated learning and teaching materials to 25 community kindergartens. Some materials and equipment for digital libraries were also distributed to Rabbit School Organisation, a local NGO in Cambodia that provides inclusive education to children with intellectual disabilities.
iLEAD International School is a social enterprise focused on quality of education and supporting community early learning education. The profits are used for supporting community preschools which offer free early childhood education to students who often lack access to early childhood education due to geographic location, poverty and a lack of awareness on the value of early childhood care and education among parents and caregivers.
As well as providing early learning education scholarships, the Alliance is focused on a “Learning through Play”, “Learning through Art” and “Learning through Sorts” curriculum for community preschool students.
