Education in Cambodia

During the reign of the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979, education in Cambodia was the first one to be disintegrated by Pol Pot’s Communist leaning government. Back then, schools nationwide were ordered to be closed. Teachers were among the first victims of the Khmer Rouge’s purging as they radically were preparing a massive indoctrination program for the youth. In fact, 90% of the teachers that time were killed while the rest fled the country or stayed in anonymity.

Vietnam, who occupied Cambodia in 1980 as a result of Pol Pot’s transgressions into Vietnamese territories, slowly re-integrated education. However, not all were able to able to gain access to the new educational system but was only available to children of civil servants. One catch also during that time was that lessons were biased to the Vietnamese culture.

Currently, post-Vietnam occupation and back to the Cambodia’s monarchial rule, education has improved greatly. The constitution now promulgates a compulsory education for everyone. All eligible students have free access to education for nine years.  However, as much as it is put into law, providing this basic service is not widely enforced. Problems like lack of qualified teachers, low student attendance in the rural areas still persist. There are not many who are willing to teach as salary and benefits are unattractive while students from the rural areas prioritize helping their families cultivate the fields.

Presently, Cambodia still has a high illiteracy rate where 76.25% of men and 45.98% of the women have yet to know their ABCs.  The Ministry of Education Youth and Sport has a strategic plan in place and have already launched programs like the National Development Strategic Plan 2006-10, Cambodia Millennium Development Goals, and the Education for All National Plan 2003-2015 to give Cambodian children hope for a brighter future.