At Tonlé Sap Lake in the province of Pursat, Cambodia, life is lived on water—from floating homes and markets to schools.

Each morning, children as young as 6 paddle their boats to floating classrooms, a tiring journey many make alone.

Some schools only admit students who can swim, resulting in late enrollment for many, and with secondary schools far away on the mainland, few students progress beyond grade 6.

Phon Soray, 40, has spent nearly two decades teaching in these remote communities. When he first arrived at Dei Roneat Primary School in 2008, the school was abandoned. “People didn’t want to stay because of poor management and frequent storms,” he says.

Today, the school is transformed. Classrooms are full, textbooks line desks and teachers ensure no one falls behind.

The turnaround, Soray says, is thanks to both teachers’ dedication and strong community support—from village elders encouraging attendance to residents helping repair the school building after storms.

Improving early literacy by equipping teachers

In the past two years, things have improved further with the rollout of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport’s early grade reading program. “There are more students than before because the teaching is good now. The children can read better too,” says Soray.

With support from the Capacity Development Partnership Fund¹, of which GPE is a key funder, UNICEF has helped the education ministry strengthen early learning across Cambodia, addressing severe learning losses caused by pandemic-era school closures.

A 2021 national assessment found that half of grade 6 students failed to meet basic literacy levels—up from 34% in 2016.

The early grade reading program provides teachers with clear, structured lesson plans that incorporate games, emphasize more student-teacher contact time, and offer classroom management strategies to support every child—including those struggling to keep up.

Mentorship is key to the program

Soray now serves as a mentor, supporting grade 1 and 2 teachers implement the new techniques and materials in their classrooms, at three nearby schools. He observes lessons, offers feedback and travels by boat to ensure even the most remote teachers feel supported.

“I try my best because I know these are remote schools. To have results, we need to build a relationship, to be willing to help. I think it’s worth it: I help the teacher, and the teacher can help the children,” he says.

Teachers like Samol Saven appreciate the mentorship aspect of the program. “I’m happy because sometimes I don’t know things and then I can ask. I’m a better teacher than before, and I believe the children learn better,” he says.

Saven chose Cha Roh Primary School, knowing that floating schools struggle to recruit government teachers. His home is 200 kilometers away on the mainland. “When there are no teachers, the children cannot learn,” he says.

Expanding on a coordinated approach

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport aims to extend the early grade reading program to all grade 1 and 2 classrooms by end-2025. Pursat is one of eight provinces supported by UNICEF under CDPF Phase III.

According to Dr. Puthy Kann, Director of the Primary Education Department at the ministry, the program’s success lies in strong coordination and national ownership.

“Before, we had many NGO partners, and they implemented their own package. Now, all NGOs support early grade learners using our national package. So there is, you could say, one voice from the top to the bottom,” he says.

Still, challenges remain. Remote schools are hard to reach, especially during the rainy season.

Travel costs can exceed mentors’ standard stipends and storms often damage buildings. Families may also relocate for fishing, interrupting children’s schooling.

To address these challenges, UNICEF and the ministry are prioritizing support to hard-to-reach areas—so no child is left behind.

Saven hopes the impact will ripple outward. “If the children study well here, they can continue their studies on the mainland and come back to teach. If they learn well, they become a resource for their community,” he says.

1. *CDPF Phase III is a pooled funding mechanism and partnership between GPE, the European Union, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and UNICEF.