Original report from Phnom Penh
01 October 2009
Song Pro is a widow from the Pnorng ethnic group. She lives in Mondulkiri province, where she has watched all five of her children drop out of school, none of them reaching beyond the fourth grade.
Most of them now are fully grown, young men and women without jobs, a source of much regret to their mother.
“If you dropped out of school, how is your future?” she asked recently. “My children say, ‘What should I do, Mother? It is because we are poor, so let chance decides.’”
Song Pro’s children are not alone. A recent report from the Ministry of Education shows that some 700 ethnic minority students dropped out of school in the 2008-2009 school year, compared to less than 1,200 dropouts nationwide. That’s an increase from 522 dropouts in minority groups last year.
Sroung Polonh is the head of Pechr Chenda district’s education office in Mondulkiri, where 156 students dropped out of school.
“There are a lot of influences,” he said. “However, the most important thing is their living conditions, and the teachers are not often there to teach in class. Also, the study facilities are poor.”
Khan Channy, the head of an ethnic community in the province, said most minority students drop out of school because they need to find work to support the family.
She worries at the rising numbers of dropouts, which are increasing each year.
“We don’t know what the future ahead holds,” she said. “However, in Pechr Chenda district, there is a lack of teachers, people are still poor, and there is no development in the village, because there are no human resources and leaders.”
In the entire province, minority students number 6,404 in primary school, from first to sixth grade, about half of the 11,297 total students. But in the lower secondary and high schools, minorities only number 481.
The national policy is to push students to reach at least the ninth grade.
Teum Sangvat, director of Mondulkiri province’s department of youth and sports, said it was not only the minority students but all students in the province who were at risk.
Rong Chhun, head of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, said the minority dropout problem will negatively affect Cambodia’s developmental process.
“A society can be developed depending on its human resources,” he said. “And these resources come from the strengthening of education and by encouraging Cambodians to attend school, along with quality.”
Teum Sangvat said the Ministry of Education was working to build more schools in the province’s five districts, to curtail the dropouts.
Meanwhile, the government has begun offering scholarships to students who pass their bachelor’s degrees in university, in an attempt to encourage students to continue their studies.
Most of them now are fully grown, young men and women without jobs, a source of much regret to their mother.
“If you dropped out of school, how is your future?” she asked recently. “My children say, ‘What should I do, Mother? It is because we are poor, so let chance decides.’”
Song Pro’s children are not alone. A recent report from the Ministry of Education shows that some 700 ethnic minority students dropped out of school in the 2008-2009 school year, compared to less than 1,200 dropouts nationwide. That’s an increase from 522 dropouts in minority groups last year.
Sroung Polonh is the head of Pechr Chenda district’s education office in Mondulkiri, where 156 students dropped out of school.
“There are a lot of influences,” he said. “However, the most important thing is their living conditions, and the teachers are not often there to teach in class. Also, the study facilities are poor.”
Khan Channy, the head of an ethnic community in the province, said most minority students drop out of school because they need to find work to support the family.
She worries at the rising numbers of dropouts, which are increasing each year.
“We don’t know what the future ahead holds,” she said. “However, in Pechr Chenda district, there is a lack of teachers, people are still poor, and there is no development in the village, because there are no human resources and leaders.”
In the entire province, minority students number 6,404 in primary school, from first to sixth grade, about half of the 11,297 total students. But in the lower secondary and high schools, minorities only number 481.
The national policy is to push students to reach at least the ninth grade.
Teum Sangvat, director of Mondulkiri province’s department of youth and sports, said it was not only the minority students but all students in the province who were at risk.
Rong Chhun, head of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, said the minority dropout problem will negatively affect Cambodia’s developmental process.
“A society can be developed depending on its human resources,” he said. “And these resources come from the strengthening of education and by encouraging Cambodians to attend school, along with quality.”
Teum Sangvat said the Ministry of Education was working to build more schools in the province’s five districts, to curtail the dropouts.
Meanwhile, the government has begun offering scholarships to students who pass their bachelor’s degrees in university, in an attempt to encourage students to continue their studies.
6 comments:
Because the fucking stupid corrupted government does care about ethnic minority and let alone Khmer...that is why, the percentage of illiteracy in Cambodia is so high...Looking at the Scum, Hun Sen himself...also illiterate scum of the earth...
Just complain, did not help our Khmer people. Not only the government, but we all as modern Khmer have the small responsible to protect our Khmer citizen all over the places.
Poor to Poorer vs. Rich to Richer.
It's ah Hun Sen and CPP members responsible for all of these. These CPP members paid to pass for their kids. CPP kids carry cancealed weaspon like An Sok grand-daughter, she fired 4 shot in the air during roadrage conflict. Also, they drive more modern car and alot of cash to party all day long 24/7. Ex: (just watch Khmer movie their parents would be high officials that how they got rich).
it's good to be diverse, not just in economy but in people as well. everyone can't all become a doctor an lawyer, you know. the best this family and others like them can do is to encourage their children to finish at least high school because cambodia need an educated and learned citizens, not ignorant ones, really. please, don't worry too much because if one cannot finish school now due to a family circumstance or what have you, remember that you can always go back to school later in life as well. you know, in the USA, everyone has the rights to go to school, irregardless of their age, especially in college, there's no age limit to go to school in the USA, really. so, i hope cambodia will adopt this kind of system from america as well, no age limit for college study and beyond. god bless cambodia.
yes, in america, some people even take staying in school as a career choice, really; there's no age discrimination to go to college the USA.
people in cambodia should be educated to understand and know the importance of having a college degree or the importance of getting an education, regardless. education is good for everyone and the country as well, really. think about it, ok!
5:44AM ! we may can go to Hanoi to take PhD with no schooling! You can become a general 3 stars!
Post a Comment