MoEYS, MLVT and UNESCO Organize Dissemination Workshop on the Inter-Ministerial Guideline and Certification of the Basic Education Equivalency Programme (BEEP)
Over 250 participants from the Provincial Office of Education (PoE), public TVET Institutes, General and Technical High Schools and youth centers from all the 25 provinces participated in the virtual dissemination workshop on “the Inter-Ministerial Guideline and Certification” of the Basic Education Equivalency Programme (BEEP) on 16 September 2021. The workshop was presided over by H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS), H.E. Dr. Pich Sophoan, Minister Delegate attached to Prime Minister and Permanent Secretary of State, Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) and Mr. Sardar Umar Alam, UNESCO Representative to Cambodia.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training (MLVT) signed a joint Prakas (guideline) to officially recognize the equivalency qualifications of the BEEP graduates. Learners who complete the required subjects and pass the final exams will receive a certificate which enables them to enroll in skills training either at TVET institutes under MLVT or at general and technical high schools under the MoEYS equivalent to Cambodian Qualifications Framework level 2 (CQF2) or Certificate Level 1 of TVET.
During the opening remarks, H.E. Dr. Hang Chuon Naron emphasized that the BEEP provides opportunities for dropout youth including young workers in factories and migrants. He added that the BEEP complements the efforts the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to develop human resources, especially the youth, by providing quality education, capabilities and skills that respond to the labor market in the country and the region. He also recommended that the content of the programme should be reviewed and updated responding to the future of digital learning and the needs of employers.
In his welcome remarks, H.E. Dr. Pich Sophoan said that the BEEP is an online learning program that is the “New Normal” in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. He also urged all levels of civil servants of the MLVT and MoEYS, as well as development partners, to participate in disseminating and implementing the Guidelines and Certification of the BEEP based on the respective roles and responsibilities.
Mr. Sardar Umar Alam noted, “The recognition of the equivalency qualifications of the BEEP graduates is a significant milestone for the BEEP programme.” He informed that UNESCO will jointly work with both the MoEYS and MoLVT for the expansion of the BEEP programme, especially to increase student enrolment through continued advocacy and awareness-raising. Furthermore, UNESCO will work closely with both ministries and the private sector in providing incentives, in terms of ICT devices, for BEEP students, including the under-privileged students. In relation to the content of the BEEP programme, UNESCO will continue to upgrade the content and learning materials, in line with their learning needs.
Since the opening of the first learning center in 2019, the BEEP has enrolled almost 1,000 learners in 22 learning centers across 13 provinces in Cambodia. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BEEP platform was customized and opened to the public, especially targeting lower-secondary school students to access supplementary learning resources. Supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and contributions from UNESCO, MoEYS, MLVT and Smart Axiata, the BEEP is entering its expansion phase under United for Decent Employment for Youth in Cambodia (DEY Phase-II), which will fund at least the establishment of 35 BEEP learning centers across 15 provinces by 2023.
Click here for more information about the BEEP.