The Mirror, Vol. 12, No. 566
“Phnom Penh: After internal wars which had blocked Cambodian education, Cambodia has paid attention to develop it, but the present numbers show that the general situation of the system of education is still poor. This was reported by the Asian Development Bank [ADB] recently.
“In this report, issued on 17 June 2008 about the situation of education and strategies for its development, ADB found that many schools, which do not get enough support in Cambodia, have the highest numbers of students per class in Asia, and the rate of students dropping out of school while repeating classes have an average rank in the region.
“The ADB report shows that the education system in Cambodia has not reached the global primary education goal. Cambodia is facing failure to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goal for education by 2015. Cambodia gets good scores for the number of students enrolling in primary classes at 92%. This report demonstrates that the rate of students dropping out of school is high, which is the most important problem among many problems making it difficult for the educational sector in Cambodia; the rate of students finishing primary education is just 64%, which is a disappointing number. In Cambodia, students repeating a class is 10%, making Cambodia one of four countries which have high rates of students repeating a class.
“The ADB report shows also that there are many reasons making parents to decide to stop to send their children to school. These reasons include poverty, schools are located far from the home, the need to help parents with their work at home or for farming, and the view that schools are not safe in terms of the general situation, and they are not related to the needs of the people at all. Another reason is that teachers have to take care of too many students – a teacher has to teach 56 students in one class in Cambodia, which is the highest rate in Asia; it is higher than that of Bangladesh, where a teacher teaches 55 students, and that of Afghanistan, where a teacher teaches 43 students.
“This report states that the teachers’ small salary, and the fact that the state does not highly value the role of teachers in society, as well as the fact that teachers have more tasks than to teach students, make the occupation as a teacher to be less interesting for potential applicants.
“Regarding the expenses spent by the government, there is only 1% of domestic incomes of Cambodia spent on primary education, which is less than the average expense of 3.7% which is set for developing countries. However, the ADB stated that the high level of education in Cambodia is a good result to develop the country after years of war, while the number of students enrolling at universities increased to over 47,800 last year; compared to the numbers in 1980, there were only 601 students enrolling. This report also shows that the ADB is playing an important role in improving the Cambodian educational system by providing support by funding political reforms and supporting projects to deal with closing gaps by providing funds. This report also shows that the ADB has provided support for Cambodia to promote the quality of education, as well as of administration and planning, to enhance the teachers’ capacity, and to expand the opportunity for students to get secondary and higher-secondary education. Cambodia ranks 103rd in the development index of the education program of the World Bank, which evaluates the development of 120 developing countries in achieving basic education for all children and youth by 2015, and Cambodian stands some numbers under Burma [which ranks 112th], and ranks 24 numbers under Vietnam.” Khmer Sthapana, Vol.1 #33, 26.6.2008
Newspapers Appearing on the Newsstand:
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Deum Tnot, Vol.1, #20, 26-27.6.2008
- Process to Arrest the Suspect Chea Ratha Regarding the Acid Attack [on Ms. In Soklida’s aunt] Seems to Be Totally Quiet!
- Head of The Royal Government of Cambodia [Prime Minister Hun Sen] Decided to Assign Too Many Advisors without Thinking about the Country’s Prestige
Kampuchea Thmey, Vol.7, #1677, 26.6.2008
- [President of Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association] Mr. Rong Chhun Said There Is Corruption [bribing teachers with US$8 to US$10, and the math test documents leaked in Battambang and Phnom Penh] during the Second Semester Examination of Grade 12 Students – the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports Denied This
- The Latest News: Tropical Cyclone in Myanmar Killed 84,500 People
Khmer Machas Srok, Vol.2, #185, 26.6.2008
- Suon Sereiratha, Director of the Cambodian Action Committee for Justice and Equity, Said that [commander of the prime minister’s Bodyguard Unit] Hing Bun Heang Planed to Kill Mr. Sam Rainsy during 2004-2005
Khmer Sthapana, Vol.1 #33, 26.6.2006
- Asian Development Bank: Cambodia Has Not Reached the Education System Which Was Set as a Goal
Moneaksekar Khmer, Vol.15, #3496, 26.6.2008
- European Community Sent 44 Long-Period Election Observers to the Provinces for the Election Campaign
- Khmer Kampuchea Krom Association Suggests to the King to Intervene for the Release of Former Monk Tim Sakhan [who has been defrocked on the accusation of having perpetrated an offense against the Buddhist law, because he is accused to have destroyed the harmony between Vietnam and Cambodia, now jailed in Vietnam]
Rasmei Kampuchea, Vol.16, #4625, 26.6.2008
- Political Parties Begin to March for the Election Campaign Today
- High Ranking Officials of the Cambodian Mekong River Committee Are Concerned that the Tonle Sap Lake Preservation Project Fails [after aid projects of donor countries finish]
- In Phnom Penh, There Are More than 1,000 Tonnes of Garbage per Day, but Toxic Waste Is Not Well Controlled
- Petroliam Nasional Berhad [PETRONAS – Malaysia] Provided Scholarships to [five] Students of Cambodia [to study in Malaysia]
- [Thai Prime Minister] Samak Was Blamed for Not Protecting the Monarchy and for the Handling of the Preah Vihear Temple Case [by the opposition party during the parliamentary session on 25 June 2008]
Samleng Yuvachun Khmer, Vol.15, #3343, 26.6.2008
- [Human Right Party president and former president of Cambodian Center for Human Rights] Kem Sokha Committed Corruption by Taking 30% to 40% of the Total Funds of Nearly US$1 Million per Year [according to Dr. Chhim Phal Vorun, former official of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, and Director of the Institute for Civil Education]
- Trains Are an Important Means to Transport Wood
Have a look at the last editorial – it is almost frightening to see to which extent there are strong emotions, disregarding related legal documents.
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Apologies for translation mistake related to an article in Koh Santepheap, Vol.41, #6380, 25.6.2008:
Wrong:
The [Khmer Rouge] Tribunal Announced that US$143 Was Paid [for the former Khmer Rouge head of state] Khiev Samphan When He Was Referred to the Hospital Again [according to the Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesperson Mr. Reach Sambath, the health condition of Mr. Khiev Samphan is normal; he was sent to the hospital for a medical checkup]
Correction:
The [Khmer Rouge] Tribunal Announced that US$143 Million Was Assisted {{for the three year process of the tribunal from 2008 to 2010}}, while [the former Khmer Rouge head of state] Khiev Samphan Was Referred to the Hospital Again [according to the Khmer Rouge tribunal spokesperson Mr. Reach Sambath, the health condition of Mr. Khiev Samphan is normal; he was sent to the hospital for a medical checkup]