Schools Reopen in Battambang Border Districts as Ceasefire Restores Classes

BATTAMBANG, Cambodia (Dec. 29, 2025) — Schools in five border districts of Battambang province will reopen Dec. 30 after a 72-hour monitoring period following the Cambodia–Thailand ceasefire agreement, the provincial Department of Education, Youth and Sport announced Monday.

The reopening covers schools in Samlout, Kamrieng, Sampov Loun, Phnum Proek and Banan districts. Authorities said border conditions were deemed stable after the ceasefire took effect at noon on Dec. 27.

The decision was made under the direction of Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron, following improved security along the frontier.

Local officials said all public and private institutions in the five districts are authorized to resume teaching and learning. Administrators, teachers, parents and students have been instructed to return with full responsibility and strict adherence to safety guidelines.

More than 1,000 schools along the Cambodia–Thailand border had been closed during the clashes, disrupting the education of nearly 255,000 students and displacing hundreds of thousands of families, according to Cambodian authorities.