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National Overview: Cambodia
Capital -- Phnom Penh
Population -- 13,607,069
Major Languages -- Khmer, which is both written and oral, French, and English
Major Religions -- Theravada Buddhist: 95%; other: 5%
Type of Government -- multiparty democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Main Exports -- garments
Life Expectancy -- 59 years
Definition of Literacy -- age 15 and over can read and write
Literacy rate -- total: 73.6%, female: 64.1%, male: 84.7%
Overview of Education -- Education in Cambodia has faced almost impossible odds. Modern education was introduced slowly to Cambodia under the French, but after independence the government made substantial progress in education. However, in the 1970’s under the Khmer Rouge almost all vestiges of education were destroyed. The foundations of modern education were replaced with manual labor. Higher education was criminalized and many “intellectuals” were sent to prison camps and killed. It was only in 1979 when the government of the PRK took power that the educational system began to be rebuilt. At first, the PRK needed soldiers to fight the Khmer Rough and education was not given a lot of attention, but as the country became more stable the government put high priority on rebuilding schools. The PRK made great progress in the 1980’s and after the UN sponsored elections in the 1990’s even more gains have been made. Cambodia still has a long way to go, but considering the extent of the damage to education caused by the countries history, they have made impressive progress.
Total expenditure on education -- 14.6% of government expenditure, 1.8% of GDP
Script/Alphabet used -- Khmer is written using the Khmer script.
Occupational distribution -- agriculture: 75%, industry and services: 25%
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School Structure
Primary School:
Length: 6 years
Age level: 6 - 12 years old
General Secondary School:
Length: 3 years
Age level: 12 -15 years old
Preparatory Secondary School:
Length: 2 years
Age level: 15-17 years old
Higher Education -- There are several universities in Cambodia. Only students with the highest scores on the bac dup (the exam taken after secondary school) are admitted.
Public or private schools and compulsory or optional -- Schools are mostly funded by families and communities. In recent years, some private schools have opened in Cambodia, but they are rare and reserved for only the wealthiest of Cambodians. School is not officially compulsory because the cost is often so high.
School Attendance -- 84%
Percent Education level achieved -- primary: 93%, secondary: 24%, higher education: 3%
Post-Secondary Opportunities -- there are higher education institutions in Cambodia, however they are usually reserved only for those who can afford to pay for them. They are often in cities making it difficult for rural children to attend them.
Pupil to teacher ratio -- 1:56
Teacher Qualifications -- following the destruction of the Khmer Rouge, anyone with any sort of education was encouraged to be a teacher. Teachers received a month of training and standards varied. In recent years the training given to teachers has increased. Yet, there are still very few teachers who have attending higher education.
Languages in School -- Khmer with added instruction in different languages in secondary school.
Method of instruction and Subjects/Curriculum -- classes are mostly taught using traditional lecture method, although there is some movement to move towards more active learning. Standard subjects are taught.
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Culture of Classroom
Physical Environment -- buildings differ between urban and rural locations. Schools in urban locations are often in modern buildings. Students sometimes must borrow library books instead of the school providing them.
Culture of classroom including discipline – the classrooms are generally strict. Boys and girls sit on opposite sides of the room.
Gender roles in classroom -- education is considered more important for boys than for girls.
Parent involvement/Parent Role in Education -- parents are not as involved with schools as they are in America.
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Access to Education
Educational barriers -- Most educational barriers are economically based. The Cambodian government still cannot afford to provide adequate funding to all schools. There is a large disparity between the quality of urban versus rural schools. Also, teachers are paid very little forcing them to take on second jobs, which cut into class time.
Gender access -- it is very expensive for parents to send one child to school, let along more than one. For this reason more boys attend school than girls; if parents must chose to send only one child to school they usually chose to send the boy. Girls are often kept at home to help with the housework as well.
Socio-political influences -- support by family, support of family; community influences/support; national influences/support.
Progress
Although the current condition of education in Cambodia may seem grim, Cambodia has made large gains since the civil war. Hopefully, with continued funding and government support education in Cambodia will only increase in quality.
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Sources
“Education.” U.S. Library of Congress. http://countrystudies.us/cambodia/52.htm
“Khmer Language.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_language. April 15, 2006.
Ledgerwood, Judy. “Education in Cambodia.” Cambodian Recent History and Contemporary Society:
An Introductionary Course. Northern Illinois University.
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/khmer/Ledgerwood/education.htm.
Lor, Piseth (Hubbs Center Student). Interview. April 15, 2006.
The World Fact Book. The Central Intelligence Agency. www.cia.gov/cia/puplications/factbook/geos/la.html.
January 10, 2006.
United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.
http://www.uis.unesco.org/profiles/EN/EDU/countryProfile. March, 2002.
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Last revised
06 June 2008
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