Challenge: Keeping children – particularly poor children – in school beyond the first few grades of primary school, the quality of teachers and the large student teacher ratio (49.7:1 in primary school) are the most significant challenges. Policies that attract children to school at the proper enrolment age and policies that attract, retain, develop, and motivate teachers are key to reducingprimary school dropout and improve quality of education.
Child work, which contributes significantly to the livelihoods of households, can interfere with schooling. Also, household direct costs for schooling, such as pocket money, transportation costs, and supplementary tutoring, remain substantial.
School incentive schemes that provide cash or in-kind subsidies to poor children conditional on school attendance are promising.
Approach: TheWorld Bank funded, Cambodia Education Sector Support Project is supporting the Government to expand access to educational services by addressing supply, demand, quality and efficiency constraints. At the same time, a multi-donor trust fund project managed by the World Bank called Education Sector Support Scale Up Action Programme funded by Fast Track Initiative Catalytic Fund (FTI) is also supporting the Government in achieving its educational Millennium Development Goals.
The main objectives of the Government’s approach to improving education include:
1- Assuring equitable access to early childhood,primary, and lower secondary educational services through the reduction of cost barriers to schooling and targeted facilities development;
2- Improving the quality and efficiency of services through greater decentralization of school management, enhanced teacher professional development, and provision of instructional materials, and developing national assessment system and teacher standards, developing higher education systems and capacity; and
3- Strengthening institutional capacity to administer educational services and implement quality control mechanisms.
Results: Together with development partners, the World Bank has been instrumental in supporting Government’s adoption of institutional reforms through analysis and policy dialogue, such as the Government’sEducation Strategic Plan (ESP). The ESP has a rigorous agenda aimed at increasing access to basic education , improving the quality and relevance of schooling, and enhancing decentralized management and efficiency of educational services.
CESSP achievements:
1- 249 (235 for lower secondary schools and 14 for incomplete primary schools) school buildings have been constructed;
2- 33,850 lower secondary school students received scholarship so that they could complete the basic education cycle;
3- 6,343 primary school teachers have been trained and upgraded to become basic education teachers;
4- 576 school directors have been trained in school leadership;
5- National assessment systems developed and national assessment tests were conducted on Mathematics and Khmer Language of grades 3, 6, and 9; and the second round of the test has been started;
6- Teachers’ standards were developed and formalized;
7- Foundation year accreditation systems were developed and used; and higher education institution accreditation standards were formalized and assessment procedures are being formalized; and
8- A higher education vision and strategy 2020 was finalized.
FTI achievements:
1- 1,715 primary school students received scholarships; and
2- 150 community preschool programs, and 150 home-based care programs established.
World Bank Contribution: World Bank is providing $28 million of the total cost of US$30 million for the Cambodia Education Sector Support Project. In addition to the World Bank, the FTI multi-donor trust fund provides US$57.4 million to support the Government’s efforts to achieve the educational MDGs.
Partners: 30 development partners contribute funds to the FTI multi-donor trust fund, which is part of the global Education For All Fast Track Initiative ( http://www.education-fast-track.org/).
Next Steps for FTI:
1-650 new pre-school classes, 150 home-based care and 150 community preschool programs to be established;
2- 650 incomplete schools buildings to complete with six full primary grades; 25 preschool buildings; 25 overcrowded primary school buildings; 1 three-story pre-school teacher training center to be constructed;
3- School improvement grants and supplementary learning materials to be provided to 650 schools;
4- Primary scholarships to be awarded to 10,000 children; 5- 15,000 teachers to be trained in child friendly school methodologies; 1,500 principals to be trained in effective leadership and school management;
5- School self-assessment and planning tools and new School Inspection and Monitoring policy issued;
6- 60 District Education Offices buildings to be upgraded; and
7- 300 Government official to be trained in financial and procurement management.
8- early grade reading assessment and intervention will be piloted to improve quality of education.
(Source: World Bank Newsletter, volume 8, number 3, March 2010)
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