Education in Cambodia
There are many challenges the education system faces in the United States. But we often don’t think about challenges other countries face in their education systems. While looking up fun facts for you this week, Cambodia came up in my research and I found it quite interesting. I know this year has been a challenge for teachers and students alike and I am not here to discount the obstacles you have overcome. Instead, I wanted to stretch you to think about those outside of your immediate classroom, school, and school district and the challenges they face on a day to day basis.
Cambodia has seen some improvement in their overall education the past few years. Since 2007, preschool enrollment has more than doubled and primary education enrollment is also on the rise. However, there are several obstacles the country still faces such as poverty and discrimination, poor teaching quality, and drop out rates that need to be overcome for Cambodians to become capable leaders in the workforce later.
1. Poverty and discrimination are still very much prevalent in Cambodia. Poverty is a concern because children are working instead of going to school. Parents do not realize the value of education and instead need the extra income. Discrimination against women and those that are disabled are still a problem as well.
2. Because education rates are so low in Cambodia, most children do not learn what they need to early on in life. UNICEF notes “Only 27 per cent of 3- to 5-year-olds are developmentally on track in literacy and numeracy.” When children get into primary education, many of the teachers are not well trained and therefore the teaching quality is low. “At the primary level, nearly 25 per cent of children in Grade 3 cannot write a single word in a dictation test.”
3. As we discussed, not all children go to school. If they do go to school, many end up going irregularly or dropping out altogether. “By the time they are 17 years old, 55% of adolescents will have dropped out of school.” These are staggering numbers that a variety of things could contribute to such as poverty, nutrition, lack of running water and sanitation facilities, etc.
The great thing is UNICEF (as well as other non-profits) are working with the Cambodian government to break down many barriers to education. While they continue their work in Cambodia, we encourage you to continue breaking down the barriers that you face in the US. The barriers in Cambodia and the US may look different and some may overlap, but know that you are making great strides in your circle of influence! /sr
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