Cambodia Education Reform
now browsing by tag
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 42
This part (42), Mr. Sophan Seng continued to analyse on the Reform of Cambodia Education. After the wake of war, education has remained important factor for this country to leapfrog herself from post-cold war country to peace and developed country, or from revolutionary-socalled country to democracy country equipped by Rule of Laws and Fair Share of National Wealth according to sustainable development pragmatism.
Courtesy: Mu Sochua blog
Again, Mr. Sophan highly articulated on quality of education system and quality of school teachers. In Cambodia, besides of fundamental concept of “better knowledge persons to teach less knowledge person” has remained omnipresent presently existing in Cambodia modern school compounds, the teachers’ pedagogy is seen out-of-date omnipotently.
For instance, this likely pro-violence country has not yet trained teachers to be anti-violence agents at schools at all. Teachers, in Cambodian concept, they are the second parents of all Cambodian children. While children are affected by violence-parenting style of ingrained traditional home-raising parenthood, teachers are not well trained in handling domestic violence in schools at all.
Recent incident of a school teacher commanded a male student to unclothe a female student in front of the roommates in the way to punish her because of her inability to answer assignment question, is one of the thousand punishment ways Cambodian teachers have always used to teach them in schools.
This sexual violence is among other four domestic violences ie. physical violence, verbal violence, financial violence, and emotional violence. School teachers are not taught to handle with all these violences and most of time they are the violence perpetrator rather than a violence stopper/investigator/observer.
Those teachers are not different from public politician figures whose education credentials are not counted to getting their way into those important public servants and high prestigious public posts. As the matter of fact, Cambodia education has been mocked by the no education or less education persons have become a player of role model in the public eyes of Cambodian people. Currently, many top officials including Premier are not graduated high school. Currently, majority of teachers are counted by training teachers graduates, they have not completed post secondary education at all.
When this important strata of social fabric are remained weak, the future of Cambodia is deems murky.
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 41
This part (41), Mr. Sophan Seng continued to analyse on Education Reform in Cambodia. The critics by Opposition Leader, Mr. Sam Rainsy, on the weakness of Cambodia education has been viewed differently according to the government’s responses. In reality, Cambodia education has faced many shortcomings such as school infrastructure, livable wage for teachers, up-to-date curriculum, and accreditation etc. Cambodian graduates regardless High School or Post Secondary, have not been endorsed by Asian nations or having equivalency with them.
In term of practical knowledge, his high school graduation as example could not enable himself to face up with the external world. He was taught overwhelmingly on academics but not citizenship, social adaptation, and leadership skills at all. Schooling for Cambodian future generation should not just focus on reading and writing Khmer language, or knowing math; but students can apply those knowledge in the real world.
On the other hand, the rebuttal from minister of MOEYs and Prime Minister Hun Sen, has been seen as self-defense rather than to accepting the reality and adjust the shortcomings accordingly.
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 40
This part (40), Mr. Sophan Seng continued to analyse the Education Reform in Cambodia through the measure of strict exam for High School students. According to the increase in state budget for Education Sector, it is a good move, but it has remained insufficient to ensure that modernization and standardization of this important part of long term development for Cambodia.
For the strict exam, it has triggered question on genuine reform of Education system in Cambodia. Strict exam might be happened to pressure on students and teachers who have been poorly supported by the state. Or strict exam may be happened to restore popularity after the continual bad reputation occurred inside the school compound.
Corruption has been rampant in Cambodia. Not only the corruption within the administrative and institution body, but the Education Sector has been infested by this social virus. Cambodia needs a bright and clear policy for Education Reform. Strict Exam is not responsive to Education Reform.
Political Paradigm of Pragmatism from the Khmer Youth part 39
Scene view of Cambodia Students during Exam 2015 – photo courtesy of MoEYs facebooke page.
This part (39), the author Mr. Sophan Seng analysed the Education Reform of Cambodia. Beside of his summary of education history of Cambodia, two points are keyly elaborated:
- The displacement of Cambodian workers majorly young people to work in South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia or other countries, have evidently brought with them the two hands and two legs to scavenge soil and dirt in those countries in expected returns of higher compensation than working inside Cambodia. They didn’t bring with them skills or expertise they have accumulated or learnt in Cambodia at all. Or if they have some levels of education, or skills, those host countries didn’t value or accept such credential at all. So we could conclude that Cambodian youths have used only heritage from their parents (body and mind) to earn a living in those countries. Those youths have not been able to use their skills or knowledge from Cambodia schools at all.
- Second point is the foreign direct investment (FDI) in Cambodia. Until today, we see only garment factories being planted and mushroomed in Cambodia. The requirement of education credential or experiences for those garment labors (although completion of diploma or 12 years compulsory education) are not needed. Whenever, those young men and women can use their both hands, they are accepted to work. Their work environment is basic laboring, not skilling or technical utilization. Once, the factories are closed, those workers could not transfer their skills or inscript it into CV for higher position with expected higher wages beside of garment factory at all.
So education system in Cambodia has remained in limbo in producing higher skills and workable human resource in real working environment. But the recent strictness in high school examination is in question that: those passed and failed candidates are retained good quality of education or not?