Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies (GSICS), Kobe University
It was a great honor to undertake my internship at the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), Kingdom of Cambodia, under the supervision of H.E Dr. Lim Sothea, Director General of the Department of Policy and Planning. The internship was conducted in a period from September 1 to September 30, 2025, and it was designed to deepen on the current situation and key challenges face by the primary education in Cambodia, with particular attention to Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) education and multilingual learning environments.
My internship responsibilities can be broadly summarized into three interrelated focal areas: ICT education policy, policy implementation and practice, and multilingual learning contexts at the primary school level. Throughout the internship, I was primarily engaged in reviewing national education policies and medium-term plans related to ICT in education, examining their implementation status, and assisting in the preparation of analytical reports. Through systematic document review, I gained a comprehensive understanding of Cambodia’s policy framework for ICT integration in primary education and the strategic priorities guiding its development.
In addition to policy analysis, I conducted interview-based research with government officials from Department of Policy and Planning These interviews enabled me to examine the operational realities of ICT education, as well as the concrete initiatives being implemented at the administrative and school levels. The insights obtained through these interviews were carefully organized and synthesized into written reports, allowing me to bridge policy intentions with institutional practices.
A further core component of this internship involved school visits. Through on-site observations, I examined the learning environments of multilingual students and the ways in which ICT tools were being utilized in classrooms. Particular attention was paid to identifying discrepancies between policy design and classroom-level realities. By systematically documenting these observations and analyses, I was able to assess how multilingual contexts interact with ICT usage in practice and to reflect on the implications for educational equity and policy effectiveness.
Last but not least, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Professor Keiichi Ogawa for his continuous academic guidance and for facilitating this valuable internship opportunity. I am also deeply thankful to H.E. Dr. Lim Sothea for his generous supervision and professional support throughout the internship in Cambodia. This experience not only enhanced my understanding of Cambodia’s primary education system and ICT education policies but also strengthened my research skills and capacity for policy-oriented analysis. The knowledge and experience gained during this internship will serve as an important foundation for my future academic and professional endeavors.
Authored by Jiling Yao (Doctoral Student)
