Kandal (FN), Mar. 21 – Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said that that moral education and discipline are essential tasks for young students, requiring the active involvement of parents, guardians, and teachers.
The premier spoke on Friday (Mar. 21) at the inauguration of a school building and various achievements at Hun Sen Sereipheap High School, Takhmao City, Kandal Province.
“For primary school students, teachers must demonstrate good discipline if they expect the same from their pupils. If they want them to be punctual, they must also model punctuality. If they want them to be clean, they must show them clean behaviour. This is what leadership is all about,” the premier underscored.
The prime minister further explained that governance in education is crucial, involving: (1) the appointment and strengthening of school leaders, such as principals, vice-principals, and staff, who must exhibit behaviours that students can look up to, and (2) the review and adjustment of curricula and extracurricular activities in line with programmes designed to reinforce moral values and behaviour.
At the same time, Samdech Thipadei shared, “I visited teachers and parents. I asked about practices in Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Speu. The people of Kampong Chhnang said their children prepared their backpacks the night before, or if not, before they woke in the morning. They folded their blankets, prepared their pillows, and left the house to greet their parents. Don’t think these small actions are insignificant. This is discipline.”
Samdech Thipadei then recalled his experience during his first year at the US Military Academy, where he was taught to focus on small tasks, such as folding a blanket properly. He shared that in the mornings, cadets were required to make their mattresses and arrange their shoes neatly, so nothing appeared disorganised. The pillows had to be folded exactly according to their corners, and if they were even slightly wrong, punishment would follow. The same applied to hanging clothes in the wrong order or varying the space between hangers. They were taught that attention to small tasks was vital, as even minor errors could cause problems.
Samdech Thipadei concluded, “We may forget the lessons we learned in school, but we never forget the values our teachers instilled in us: honesty, helping one another, and remembering the punishments when we make mistakes.”
=FRESH NEWS
