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| Young students in Cambodia (Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS) |
Phnom Penh Friday, 08 October 2010
“If we cannot fill our stomachs, we can't stay focused on our work. I don't know what the government really thinks. But we don't dare ask for an increase in salary. We just like teaching for the sake of teaching.”
Banoy primary school sits on a bumpy road about 50 kilometers from Takeo town, the provincial capital. A ringing bell means the end of class, and schoolboys and schoolgirls on a recent afternoon filtered out of the school and began heading home.
October marks the beginning of a new school year, but students interviewed recently in Takeo say they lack teachers. Their teachers are also farmers or market vendors, supplementing their incomes with outside work that keeps them out of the classroom.
Peang Khyang, the co-director of the school, walked nearby with an old, grey bicycle. He said teachers here have a hard time making ends meet.
“If we cannot fill our stomachs, we can't stay focused on our work,” he said. “I don't know what the government really thinks. But we don't dare ask for an increase in salary. We just like teaching for the sake of teaching.”
Teachers currently make different monthly salaries according to the level of school they are in: 100,000 riel, or $20, for primary, $50 for secondary and $70 for high school.
Peang Khyang said a teacher needs between $200 and $300 a month to maintain a decent standard of living. (By comparison, garment factory workers are currently fighting for incomes of about $90 per month, up from $61.)
On Oct. 5, which is International Teacher's Day, the Independent Teachers Association announced it wanted a raise for educators to $250 per month. They had planned a march for Oct. 6, but local authorities prevented it.
“The main problem of teachers in the matter of making a living,” said Rong Chhun, president of the association, which has made repeated requests for salary increases over the years.
Thong Boran, director general of finance for the Ministry of Education, said the request by the teacher's association did not follow the government's plan for teacher salaries.
“We work following a strategy and plan,” he said. “Rong Chhun is different.”
6 comments:
Who is our future leaders it is our children... if these children being alliterated - what is our hope for the future?
we all have to do something about this tragic. Knowledge is power!
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!
You Cambodians with Mercedes Ben need to sell one of your toys and sponsor school teachers back home?
Or would you rather sponsor me to go teach them young ones improper English?
Judging from the article, it is easy to predict Cambodia's futuren, not very promising.
Cambodian culture encourages misplaced priority. The overwhelming majority Cambodians are short sight. Khmers prefer to be seen as rich and respectable by indulging themselves in luxury goods, like Lexus SUV, masions houses while they closed their eyes to people living in destitute all around them.
Very pathetic culture Khmer culture is!
Cambodian in the US is not very much different.
Knowledge can give Khmer people power,but unschooled Khmer students get nothing in Khmer people lives.The uneducated people are easy to lead because they lack of knowledge leading them to a wrong direction.Why did teachers not show up in classes? Not enough salary themselves and families.Where did the money go? It went to the higher Hun Sen officials.
Why you keep voting for Hun Sen CPP regime to know that you would have no future under his regime. You must to change for better.
people in tenure cleverly and disgustingly design education to serve political interests, refraining cambodian childs to receive high quality education by ignoring basic facts of shortage in education. those people manipulate people's ignorance an cluelessnes to keep their power safe and unchallenged from ground root of support.
1) some people live on luxerrious lives at the expense of pepple stupidity & cluelessness
2) some people secur their wealthy lives when they don’t really do anything at the expense of people stupidity & cluelessness
3) some people standing tall handsomely and call themselves genius at the expense of pp stupidity & cluelessness
4) some people rob everything from people: new ideas, freedom and rights to fruitfull media and to self development at the expense of stupidity and cluelessness.
5) some people claim they are better in their uniform of lies and evil disguise at the expense of stupidity and cluelessness.
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