AKP Phnom Penh, December 19, 2025 -- 

Under sweltering rubber tents, hundreds of displaced children sit on plastic mats, reciting lessons that are frequently interrupted by the thud of heavy artillery.

Thirteen days after renewed fighting erupted along the Cambodia-Thailand border, the escalating conflict has paralysed the region's education system. 

According to Chhou Bunroeung, Director of the Banteay Meanchey Provincial Department of Education, 329 schools have closed, disrupting learning for nearly 100,000 students.

The conflict has seen the deployment of heavy weaponry and fighter jets, damaging homes and schools alike. For many students, the classroom has been replaced by temporary shelters where they can only study core subjects like mathematics and the Khmer language.

"It’s very hot here," said one displaced student, speaking from a temporary tent. "When it rains, our books get wet. I miss my desk, my friends and my home. I just want to study for my future."

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports reported that as of Dec. 19, some 13,210 displaced students have registered for temporary schooling across 22 capital and provinces. However, tens of thousands more remain out of school, often fleeing combat zones with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

Displaced teachers, many of whom have volunteered to lead classes in the camps, expressed grave concern over the long-term impact on the children.

"Last year, they could not complete their lessons properly. Now they are forced to flee again," said a representative for the displaced teachers. "Cambodian children do not want bombs. They want peace and textbooks."

A total of 329 schools closed; nearly 100,000 students affected; artillery and air strikes have damaged residential and educational buildings; acute lack of pens, notebooks, and basic learning materials in displacement centres; and educators are calling for urgent mental health support for traumatised students.

Provincial authorities have managed to enroll roughly 3,000 students in nearby safety centres and community shelters, but officials warn that humanitarian needs remain acute as the fighting persists.

Teachers and students have appealed for international intervention to halt the hostilities and allow "the light of knowledge" to return to the border provinces.

By K. Rithy Reak