January 29, 2026
PHNOM PENH – Cambodia officially introduced the Jarai language into its multilingual education programme on January 27, marking a historic milestone as the first country in the world to implement six indigenous languages written in the Khmer script.
The initiative aims to safeguard cultural identity, promote language rights and ensure indigenous children receive quality and equitable education.
The announcement was made in Ratanakiri province by Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports.
He said the move reflects the government’s commitment to the principle that “no child is left behind”, by allowing indigenous children to begin learning in their mother tongue.
Naron stressed that mother-tongue education not only improves learning outcomes but also plays a vital role in preserving indigenous languages, traditions and cultural identity amid rapid social change.
“This is a key strategy to promote quality, equitable and inclusive education, by giving indigenous children the opportunity to learn in their own language with the aim of preserving their culture and identity in a sustainable manner,” the Ministry of Education quoted the minister as saying.
He added that the ministry will continue to provide scholarships to disadvantaged and high-performing students to enable them to pursue higher education, particularly those from remote and indigenous communities.
According to the ministry, the multilingual education programme currently provides education to around 7,500 indigenous children from pre-school to Grade 3, while creating employment for approximately 400 indigenous teachers each year.
The programme is being implemented in target schools across Ratanakiri, Stung Treng, Kratie, Mondulkiri and Preah Vihear provinces.
To ensure its sustainability and effectiveness, the minister outlined several priorities, including continued research and documentation of Jarai vocabulary used by local communities, improvements to curricula, textbooks and learning materials, and the expansion of the programme to areas with additional demand.
He also emphasised strengthening teachers’ competencies in both mother-tongue literacy and multilingual pedagogy through ongoing training and professional development.
Naron further called for enhanced cooperation at local, national and international levels to support implementation and improve schools in indigenous areas.
He noted that Cambodia is the first country in the world to implement such a programme using indigenous languages written in the Khmer script. Six indigenous languages—Tumpuon, Kreung, Brao, Kavet, Pnong and Jarai—are currently included out of a total of 24 indigenous languages in the country.
Vorn Samphors, country director of Aide et Action Cambodia, welcomed the development, describing it as a major milestone in recognizing and promoting the language, culture and identity of the Jarai people, while reaffirming the organisation’s continued support for multilingual education.
“For the Cambodian Indigenous Peoples Association, the official inclusion of the Jarai language is placed high value on the protection and preservation of indigenous languages, cultures, traditions and identities within a modern cultural context,” he said.
The education ministry noted that the programme is supported by the government, with additional technical and financial assistance from development partners including UNICEF, the EU and several international organisations working with indigenous communities across the country.