MoEYS Allocates USD 500,000 to Repair Seven Schools Damaged by Thai Shelling

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(Phnom Penh): Cambodian Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron said that seven schools were damaged by Thai military shelling during five days of armed clashes, while the ministry has prepared a budget of USD 500,000 for repairing the affected schools.

The minister spoke on Friday (Aug. 22) during a press conference.

According to the minister, following the armed clashes along the Cambodia–Thailand border triggered by the Thai side, seven schools sustained damage from Thai bombs and artillery shells. These schools include:

1. Techo Bosbou Primary School, Choam Khsant District, Preah Vihear Province – nearly 90 per cent destroyed, with unexploded ordnance and shell fragments still scattered around the school grounds.

2. Tamone Senchey Primary School, Oddar Meanchey Province – almost entirely destroyed.

3. Say Monorom Primary School, Banteay Ampil District, Oddar Meanchey Province – one building with three classrooms damaged.

4. Bos Thom Primary School, Banteay Ampil District, Oddar Meanchey Province – one building with three classrooms damaged.

5. Kouk Prasat Primary School, Samraong City, Oddar Meanchey Province – one building with five classrooms slightly damaged.

6. Chup Kukir Primary School – one building with five classrooms damaged (roof tiles, electrical wiring, and some materials affected).

7. O Pok Primary School, Samraong City, Oddar Meanchey Province – slightly damaged.

For these damages, the Ministry of Education has allocated around USD 500,000 for repairing school buildings and preparing them for reopening, according to the minister.

He further stated that the new academic year is scheduled to open on 1 November 2025. However, some schools along the Cambodia–Thailand border may not be able to reopen normally due to the presence of unexploded ordnance, including cluster munitions dropped by Thai troops, which have not yet been cleared. The reopening of these schools must wait until clearance work is fully completed by the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC).

It was also noted that the Ministry of Education will organise a joint school opening ceremony in Chongkal District, Oddar Meanchey Province, to demonstrate solidarity with Cambodia’s heroic soldiers who sacrificed to defend the nation’s territorial integrity.
=FRESH NEWS