Study and find schools in Cambodia
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Cities to study in Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a sovereign nation in Southeast Asia, with a total land area of nearly 70,000 square miles. Situated in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula, the country is bordered by Vietnam to the east, Laos to the northeast, Thailand to the northwest and the Gulf of Thailand to the southwest. The capital and largest city in Cambodia is Phnom Penh, which also serves as its economic, political and cultural nucleus.
Cambodia has a population of nearly 15 million, making it the 69th most populous country in the world, and with over 200 people per square mile it is considered fairly dense according to the world average. Native Cambodians called the Khmer account for 95 percent of the total population, with smaller minorities of Chinese, Vietnamese, Chams and various hill tribes accounting for the remainder. The Theravada variety of Buddhism is the official religion of Cambodia, and is practiced by over 95 percent of the population. Chams and Malays living in the country mostly practice Islam, and about one percent adheres to Christianity, most of them Roman Catholics.
In Cambodia the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is responsible for the development and promotion of Cambodian culture—a culture that is strongly influenced by Theravada Buddhism, Hinduism, Angkorian culture and modernization. Its cuisine, much like in other Southeast Asian nations, depends on rice as the staple food, along with fish, tropical fruits, garlic, lemon grass, coconut milk, ginger and soy sauce. Music in the country dates back to the Khmer Empire, and traditional dances are divided into three main categories, Khmer classical dance, folk dance, and social dances. Football, which was introduced to Cambodia by the French, continues to be the most popular sport in the country
Education in Cambodia
Education in Cambodia is overseen by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, which is responsible for developing educational policy and guidelines. Management of the education system is the responsibility of the individual provinces and districts. Education is free and compulsory for students between the ages of 6 and 15 and is divided between primary and secondary schools.
Primary schools in Cambodia serve students between the ages of 6 and 13 and offer a broad curriculum which includes science, mathematics, Khmer language and literature, history, geography, social studies, art and physical education. The curriculum at the secondary schools, which typically house students aged 14-18, is similar to that taught in France. The final three years are split into three distinct sections based on major subjects: letters, mathematics and technology; agriculture; and biology.
Higher education, although not tuition-free, is available to any student who graduates from one of Cambodia’s secondary schools with a diploma, but the current enrollment rate of 10 percent is much lower than it is in other countries in the world. The system is not recognized by the QS World University Rankings, and there is inadequate communication between schools and corporations, making it difficult for graduates to integrate into the workforce. Most institutions of higher learning are located in the country’s urban areas—a situation which further burdens and discourages participation among eligible students from a financial standpoint, as they would have to pay the cost of transportation and living expenses in addition to their tuition. Those that do manage to find accommodations must then deal with the crime and the rampant culture of drugs and prostitution in Cambodian cities.
Despite the many challenges to education in Cambodia, net enrollment rates at primary and secondary schools have been rising, as the government continues to seek ways to improve the quality of education and provide access for all students. Evidence that education is improving and reaching more students can be seen in the country’s literacy rate. Statistics show that while the literacy rate for the entire population is only 74 percent, the rate among those aged 15-24 is nearly 90 percent and among males and 88 percent among females.