Friday, March 20, 2009

Teachers say PM's claims dubious

Friday, 20 March 2009
Written by Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

At an education summit Wednesday, Hun Sen said he did not have the budget to raise the salaries of teachers; teacher associations say the money could be found if the PM wanted to

TEACHER associations criticised Prime Minister Hun Sen Thursday after he said at an education summit that he could not raise teacher salaries, though he really wanted to.

"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 during concluding remarks at the National Education Congress Wednesday, which was attended by teachers, NGO members and development partners.

"And where should we find the money [to raise salaries]?" he asked, adding that now the world's economy was slowing down, the people who used to have incomes are losing them.

"When a salary is raised, it has to be raised forever," he said.

However, Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association, said the government today would have no problem raising teacher salaries, which he believed should be lifted to 800,000 to 1,000,000 riels (US$200-$250) a month for a suitable living standard.

"I think the government has enough money to raise teachers' salary and would do so if the prime minister wanted to raise teachers' salary to a suitable standard of living," he said.

He said the money could come from tax collecting, eliminating corruption or simply wasting less money on the delegation that usually accompanies the prime minster at such ceremonial events.

"As far as I know, each delegate receives 2,000,000 riels plus expenses on gasoline when they accompany the prime minister to inauguration celebrations or other missions," Rong Chhun said.

He added that Cambodia currently has over 100,000 teachers working throughout the country, and that "93 percent of them have to have another job on top of teaching in order to support their families".

According to the association president, primary school teachers currently get paid 100,000 riels, lower secondary school teachers around 200,000 riels and upper secondary school teachers about 250,000 riels.

A recent report conducted by NGO Education Partnership claimed that 99 percent of them said a teacher's salary alone is not enough for them to live on.

The report stated that the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport budget for 2008 was more than twice what it was in 2000: $508,865,000 compared to $209,246,000.

In the same period, teachers starting salaries are anecdotally reported to have increased from $20 since 1999 to $30 today.

"At present, salary levels make it impossible for teachers to afford the basic necessities ... and leave teachers with no other option but to seek other income generating activities," the report stated.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's time to remove pouk Ah Scam Rainxy from our education institution. They have not done anything but to extort money from poor pupils and denying them education they deserved. Wake up administration.

Anonymous said...

Ah Hun Sen can raise it animal self what ever it wanted but not all of you this is your fault that you gave your voice to the killer khmer rouge and ignorant to be your PM.
Vote for the animal again you all deserve it.

Anonymous said...

i think gov't should do all they can to raise all teachers' salary, especially given the higher expenses of living as cambodia is more developed. salary ought to reflect the living expenses. i think gov't should set minimum cap for teachers and all other gov't workers say like $100 US dollars and higher depends on tenure, education level and experience and so on. this is only fair and justice as cambodia is becoming more and more civilized and the standard of living is slowly improving as well. if gov't continue to ignore this request and not taken into consideration the living expenses and so on, then we will see the consequences of poor quality of education, less competitiveness and perhaps rampant corruption as people are only trying to make a living to raise their family, and pay for the higher expenses for their daily life activities and so on. so, i think gov't should look into this and reform the salary cap for all workers so everyone can be happy. i believe if there's a will, there's a way, as it is narrow minded to think that this cannot happen due to lack of funds of insufficient funds and so on and thus ignore this very important and essential ingredient in the building of a nation. gov't must take everything into consideration when it comes to a fair salary as it can have a major moral impact on workers. after all, teachers and educators are the pillar of a strong and educated future generation of the nation and ought to be look into seriously. thank you and god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

Hun sen is multi-billionaire and he can raises teacher salary especially after the fact in 2009 big country donated much more than last year.

Anonymous said...

If you voted for CPP (Cambodian People's Party):

Also known as:

Communist Party of Kampuchea
Khmer Revolution Party
Khmer Rouge Party
Khmer Krorhorm Party - គណបក្សខ្មែរក្រហម

You're support the killing of 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples from 1975 to 1979 in Cambodia.

You're support the killing at least twelve innocent men, women and children on March 30, 1997 Grenade Attack in Cambodia.

You're support assassination of journalists in Cambodia.

You're support political assassination and killing in Cambodia.

You're support attempted assassination and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.

You're support corruptions in Cambodia.

You're support murder of Piseth Pilika (Hun Sen's affaire).

You're support Hun Sen Regime burn poor people's house down to the ground and leave them homeless.


Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin was a former Khmer Rouge commanders.

Now, Hun Sen, Chea Sim and Heng Samrin are Khmer Rouge leaders, since their leader (Pol Pot) is dead.

From 1975 to 1979, these Khmer Rouge commanders responsible for killing 1.7 million innocent Khmer peoples in Cambodia.

From 1980 to present, these Khmer Rouge leaders responsible for killing innocent men, women and children on March 30, 1997, assassinated journalists, political assassination and killing, murder of Piseth Pilika (Hun Sen's affaire) and attempted assassinate and murder of leader of the free trade union in Cambodia.

When is the ECCC going to bring these three criminals to U.N. Khmer Rouge Tribunal?

Khmer Rouge Regime is a genocide organization.

Hun Sen Regime is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Bodyguards is a terrorist organization.
Hun Sen Death Squad is a terrorist organization.
Cambodian People's Party is a terrorist organization.

I have declare the current Cambodian government which is lead by the Cambodian People's Party as a terrorist organization.

Whoever associate with the current Cambodian government are associate with a terrorist organization.


Khmer Rouge Regime had committed:

Torture
Execution
Massacre
Atrocities
War Crimes
Crimes Against Humanity
Starvations
Overwork to Death
Slavery
Rapes
Abuses
Assault and Battery


Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen Regime had committed:

Assassination
Murder
Killing
Terrorism
Drive by Shooting
Intimidation
Death Threat
Threatening
Human Rights Abuses
Human Trafficking
Drugs Trafficking
Under Age Child Sex
Mass Evictions
Land Grabbing
Corruptions
Illegal Firearms
Illegal Logging
Acid Attacks
Injustice
Steal Votes
Violate the Constitution


These are the Trade Marks of Hun Sen's Khmer Rouge Regime.

Under Hun Sen Regime, no criminals that has been committed murder and all other crimes within Hun Sen's government ever been brought to justice.


Information change without notice as it become available.

Anonymous said...

12:20am, no buying of poltics and voters here! don't you understand that what goes around can come around and bite your behind sooner or later! let's all strive to do the right thing and stop dividing like my side and your side argument because it won't solve anything, really. please think about it! plus, people in cambodia are 90% smarter today than they were 10 or 20 years ago, so, stop your political rhetoric and campaign because it may no longer have any effect on anybody anymore. god bless cambodia.

Anonymous said...

I know Hun Sen could get the money to pay for the teacher: Tax the MP who buy a tax free automobile one every year. These tax should be enough to give a pay raise to the teachers.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen is full of bullshit. THE MONEY CAN BE FOUND! It just happens that all of the aid money coming from international donars don't get allocated correctly into the salaries of teachers, doctors and civil servants, but rather, it goes into the pockets of greedy and corrupted CPP officials and their families.

It's quite pathetic. In a couple of years when billions of dollars pour into Cambodia as a result of new oil money, these teachers still won't get paid enough or on time because the CPP is going to grab it all for their own personal greed.

Anonymous said...

Do not wast your time my friends.Do you remember khmer rouge say"If they have enough food..power,and strigh them back"This proverbs is provided by HANOI.From now on you will see.
KH

Anonymous said...

Ah kwack Hun Sen never support anything relate to education
Because he is one of the uneducated person.

Anonymous said...

No, PM is always for high standard education, but he's not for the corrupted pouk Ah Scam Rainxy's teachers.

Anonymous said...

Hun Sen a repli sa banque pour payer auxs guardes 10 battaillons ?
Qui a insulté à ce qui n'a pas tort
Avain sero Utthai patau kbal daim choh Jaeung laeung laeu (Buddha's word)