UN Analysis Final.pdf - United Nations in Cambodia

BOX 4-5: INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE GIRLS’ DROP OUT RATE
To address high drop out and illiteracy rates of girls and women, MoWA has focused on non-formal
education, including literacy, childcare and vocational training for women. MoWA also promotes
equal participation by girls and boys in primary and secondary schools, and schooling for more female
students at all levels. MoWA has worked with MoEYS in the development of textbooks, and with MoSVY in
preparing training courses at Women in Development Centers, and proposed dormitories for girls.
Source: Education Sector Performance Report 2005
Physical factors: A range of community factors also impact on student retention rates, including the
availability of roads, public transport, water, and electricity, which affect the cost of making education
accessible to all children.
Physical infrastructure in the village, including schools, pagodas and roads, has been slightly improved
over the past two or three years. Its impact on the improvement of the villagers’ livelihood is doubtful
– Male youth group, Svahoul Village, Siem Reap
No ethnic female young in the village has completed secondary level…sometimes they are not able to attend
the class because the school is located far away from home and the road is bad…More girls give up their
schooling than boys because the school is far away from home and they fear for their security…we want
more schools built in our province – FGD with female youth (age 20-24) Ratanakiri
Quality of education: Discussions with stakeholders and FGD for this study consistently suggested that
the quality of education currently provided falls short of acceptable standards, particularly in rural areas such
as Ratanakiri, Banteay Meanchey. Poor quality in education results from scarce resources, insufficiently trained
teachers and principals, inadequate professional development opportunities, and weak local capacity to
take responsibility for school improvements at facility, district and provincial levels. Teacher quality and
attendance at schools are indispensable elements for student achievement.
We are not angry that the teacher does not come to teach regularly or that they take some money from the
students in classes. We always acknowledge that the teacher has a very low salary...how can they live with
this,…it is not enough…the teachers have to travel far, they need to spend on gasoline, and now everything
is so expensive…so they have to do this… – FGD with female youth (15-19), Ratanakiri
Expanding access without ensuring minimally adequate quality is a formula for low efficiency in education,
which possibly leads to high grade repetition and large numbers of students dropping out before completing
basic education (World Bank 2006).
4.2.5 THE LACK OF QUALITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF EDUCATION PUTS
CAMBODIA AT AN ONGOING DISADVANTAGE
Low retention and high dropout rates increase the vulnerability of young people in rural areas and
continue to put the nation at a comparable disadvantage. Those who leave school early tend to work for
subsistence-level pay and in unskilled jobs. Moreover, they are unlikely to access new work opportunities
that will demand skilled workers in either rural and urban areas, as has recently been reported by the MoLVT.
48 Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia