Education in Cambodia can truly break your heart. Public education is rife with cheating and extra payments required to the teacher for good quality instruction. The system promotes poverty as those with the resources and opportunities steam ahead of those from poor and disadvantaged families.
One of the keys to empowering the poor is through education – but how can they receive it if it is not made open to them?
In an article in the Phnom Penh Post today it was reported that: “Cambodia spent a lower percentage of its GDP on education than any of its three neighbouring countries (Thailand, Vietnam and Laos) in 2011 and was ranked last among them in key related indicators, statistics from the latest United Nations Development Program Human Development Index show.”
When I read this I was devastated and had to check up the UN Human Development Index. There Cambodia was, ranked at #139 (out of 187 countries) just behind Laos. In comparison Australia is happily sitting in position #2.
The article goes on to state how much is actually spent by the government on education. “The Kingdom spent just 2.1 percent of GDP on education, less than half that of Vietnam, and only 58.1 percent of Cambodian’s school-aged children were enrolled in some form of education, the report stated.” So many children miss out and have no opportunity to be a blessing to their nation as the cycle of poverty continues.
But what got my blood boiling was the comment by Tun Sar Im, under-secretary of state at the Ministry of Education, Youths and Sports, saying that the levels of education in Cambodia are acceptable. I strongly disagree – this is not acceptable. Education isn’t just about passing tests, but gaining a quality of life, skills and abilities to bless your family and impact your community. I understand the family and cultural pressures make it difficult for marginalised children to attend school – but saying the standard is acceptable is accepting the fact that the poor suffer and not turning to do anything about it.
Not only is education low but health is also an ill funded area. Education and health are linked together and they both need to be viewed as priorities if Cambodia is to grow as a nation and aims to equip the people within it. Fundamental basic needs need to be met to enable education to flourish in this nation…things that our western school take for granted are missing here. Teachers are inadequately paid, meaning them must rely on extra funding from the students to be able to support themselves. There is a lack of resources, students are often lacking nourishment to help them receive an education, rooms are overcrowded, teachers are not training further so they may grow in their profession….the list continues.
Next years still to be approved budget “allocates 16.73 percent of US$2.69 billion in total spending to the education and health ministries.” Let’s hope whatever money that goes towards health and education is used responsibility to enable all people – all who deserve non-discriminative access to education and medical attention - to actually receive it.
I love New Life School’s mission statement – “To raise up a generation of children who have knowledge, skills, good character and a genuine love for the Lord. Children who will build up the local church and encourage a positive change in Cambodian society.” That is why I doing what I do. I want to be a part of providing good quality Christian Education to the poor and needy, because these children are far too valuable to God to go without.
