Thursday, March 26, 2009

Teacher pay too low: survey

CITA President Rong Chhun speaks at a press conference releasing CITA teacher survey results on Wednesday at the organisation's Phnom Penh headquarters. (Photo by: SOVANN PHILONG)

Thursday, 26 March 2009
Written by Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Robbie Corey-Boulet
The Phnom Penh Post


A Cambodian Independent Teachers Association poll finds that more than 50 percent of educators seek outside income to supplement low salaries.

MORE than 50 percent of primary and secondary school teachers said in a recent survey that they were unable to stick to a regular teaching schedule because their salaries were too low.

Of 460 teachers who participated in the survey, released Wednesday by the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA), 53.9 percent said they were unable to go to school every day because they needed to supplement their salaries with income earned outside the classroom.

The survey found that primary teachers make 172,000 riels (US$42) per month, lower secondary teachers 235,610 riels and high school teachers 339,380 riels.

CITA President Rong Chhun said low salaries cause teachers to "lose their honour and dignity" because they are unable to pay basic living expenses such as water and electric bills.

The release of the report comes on the heels of Prime Minister Hun Sen's claim, made last week during remarks at the National Education Congress, that the government wanted to raise teachers' salaries but was unable to do so.

"I would like to inform you ... those who are in charge of education ... I really want to raise your salaries but our budget is limited," Hun Sen said.

In response, Rong Chhun said last week that "the government has enough money to raise teachers' salaries and would do so if the prime minister wanted to". He called for salaries of between 800,000 and 1 million riels per month.

Calls for higher pay

A December 2008 survey released by NGO Education Partnership (NEP) found that teachers earn on average between $30 and $60 per month "depending on qualifications, years of experience and number of shifts worked".
"We are seriously concerned about the education sector in our country."
The NEP noted in the report that it was unable to obtain salary information from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Reached by phone Wednesday, Nath Bunroeun, an undersecretary of state at the ministry, told a reporter he could not provide salary information without first receiving a written request.

The NEP survey, based on interviews with 144 primary and secondary school teachers in five provinces, cited a "general agreement" among district-level education officials that teachers' salaries should be between $100 and $150 per month, with Phnom Penh school directors calling for double that.

Only 2.6 percent of teachers participating in the CITA survey said Cambodian schools provided a high-quality education, with 52.4 percent saying the education students received was average and 45 percent saying it was poor.

"We are seriously concerned about the education sector in our country when 45 percent of teachers say the focus is on quantity of students and not quality," Rong Chhun said.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen chops part of teachers'salary to pay his bodyguards.

Anonymous said...

Fucking Sadam Ho Sen, has taken a lot of money from teachers to support the VN-backed CPP as well.
What a shame!!! to have such a stupid person to be the leader. Don't worry Khmer, God will take him to join Hok Lundi Soon.

Anonymous said...

Fucking Sadam Ho Sen, has taken a lot of money from teachers to support the VN-backed CPP also. Don't worry Khmer, God will take him to join Hok Lundi Soon.

Anonymous said...

Come on Hun Sen and please do the right thing by returning those money back to the teacher!

You know too well that your propaganda machine ain't working in painting yourself of how good you are for the country!

I do remind you that even at your age and it is never too late to make a change or do the right thing!

Anonymous said...

Anyone can claimed they are underpaid. However the truth of the matter is do you deserved more?

Well, if the quality of education is high, then teacher should get more money for it. However, unfortunately, that is far from the case.

Anonymous said...

HUN SEN use all the money to buy PHD for him , his ugly wife and family ..

Anonymous said...

Hahaha, LOL, hahahha, Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy teacher want more money for their substandard quality education, hahaha, LOL, ....

Who are you trying to kid? Go the the US or Canada if you want more money, but don't hold your breath for it in Cambodia, motherfuckers!

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen or YOUN doesn't care. He wants to keep Cambodian people dumb, stupid and uneducated so they can rule forever.

That's why you need us Khmen/Thai to come in liberate you all.

We are aiming our missile to Tang Krasang and Toul Krasaing (HUN SEN's house).

We will suggest you to change Phnom Penh to Khao Penh.

Khmen/Thai,

Anonymous said...

All teachers deserve much more salary than Hun Sen because they are better educated than Hun Sen.

Anonymous said...

i think teachers should continue to demand the gov't to increase salary to at least the minimum of $100.00 US dollar a month to meet the current daily living expenses. keep making demands for gov't until they look into it. god bless all.

Anonymous said...

Teachers are poor !
That's why teachers extort and force
student to give monies to them!
What are the difference between teachers and polices ?
Teachers don't have gun !
Still, most of the teachers in Cambodia don't give good examples on the charity and forgiveness to the students !
Teachers steal monies from parent's students !

Anonymous said...

if gov't want people to do well, they must reward teachers with $100.00 a month salary; anything less is not enough! this way everybody will be happy to oblige. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

11:33 pm, you must be 12:00am who always holding PM dick to piss. Keep on barking and I will continue to pound your brainless scum of the human sociaty head until you let go of HS dick, you rat.

Anonymous said...

This is only talking about salary and what about school supplies and equipments that are needed to run the school?

The schools built by AH HUN SEN are for prisoners not for students because it lacks the beauty, equipments, and sanitation, and everything about the fucken school is so fuck up and the only reason dirt poor Cambodian people send their children there because they didn't have a fucken choice!

I say don't send your children there and send them to Wat instead! Why? It didn't harm AH HUN SEN for receiving education at Wat when he was a pagoda boy and now look where he is at?

Fuck all AH HUN SEN school!

Anonymous said...

This is only talking about salary and what about school supplies and equipments that are needed to run the school?

The schools built by AH HUN SEN are for prisoners not for students because it lacks the beauty, equipments, and sanitation, and everything about the fucken school is so fuck up and the only reason dirt poor Cambodian people send their children there because they didn't have a fucken choice!

I say don't send your children there and send them to Wat instead! Why? It didn't harm AH HUN SEN for receiving education at Wat when he was a pagoda boy and now look where he is at?

Fuck all AH HUN SEN school!

Anonymous said...

In the old day the teachers were paid
so well.
They've got 3,000 riels for the primary school and 7,000 riels for the high school.

A bowl of noodle costed 5 riels.
One Dam-Lung of gold = 3,000 riels.
$1.00 USD = 60 riels.

Anonymous said...

Down with POL POT AH SEN ..

Anonymous said...

No quality education, no pay, period.

Anonymous said...

Hahahaha, LOL, hahahaha, ... Pouk Ah Scam Rainxy thinks they can SCAM Khmer people, hahaha, LMAO, ...

Anonymous said...

"CITA President Rong Chhun said low salaries cause teachers to "lose their honour and dignity" because they are unable to pay basic living expenses such as water and electric bills."

Also (I must add), we have to force ourselves suplement our incomes by advocating corruption. This is the only viable option for teachers. And thanks to corruption, without it, we'll be starving.

Anonymous said...

What is corruption is to pay unqualified teachers high salary.

Anonymous said...

Here go the old sayings:

"Cambodian teachers eat chalk."
"American teachers eat peanut."

So my dad ate chalk for 20 years in Cambodia, and I have eaten peanut for 22 years in the USA.

Anonymous said...

hey, it won't help to beat on the dead horse. instead, use this opportunity to reform our education system. reform education also mean, better salary for teachers and gov't workers, better training with emphasis on teachers' code of ethics; everything professionals must have their own code of ethics. hello, wake up and see the world. god bless cambodia.

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