Education in Cambodia

The following is extracted from the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MEYS) 12 year Education for all (EFA) plan.

in 2001/2 there were supposed to be approx 5700 primary schools catering for an approx (1998 data) 2.34 million kids of primary school age (6-11 years). This works out to a commendable 400 students per school. On paper at least. Many of the schools are inaccessible to the rural community and poorly attended.

Primary school attendance rate (2000) is an abysmal 67.6%, and the Gr 6 survival rate is even worse, at 47.8%.

At the turn of the millenium, at the United Nations, the world community adopted a Millenium Declaration that as recently renewed in 2008. This 'Millenium Development Goals' pledged to “spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty.”

The Education Goal (Target 2.A) was to "Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling"

Based on this, Cambodia has a long, long way to go.

Global figures on Primary School Enrollments (MDG report 2008).