INCLUSIVE QUALITY EDUCATION UNICEF Country Programme

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1 INCLUSIVE QUALITY EDUCATION UNICEF Country Programme UNICEF Cambodia/2015/Charles Fox Situation Cambodia is known internationally as a success story of educational reconstruction and transformation following the Khmer Rouge s rule in the 1970s when much of the country s education system was destroyed. Significant progress has been made since then with a huge expansion in the availability of schools and children s access to education. While more Cambodian children are entering school with primary net enrolment increasing from 87 per cent to 98 per cent between 2001 and 2015 (including private schools) marginalized children are still deprived of their right to an inclusive and quality education. Children from poor rural families, ethnic minorities and those with disabilities are more likely to be excluded from, or not complete primary school, with little difference between boys and girls. Cambodia s growing economy, while demonstrating progress in poverty reduction, is perversely affecting poor children s education. Income-generating opportunities in the formal or informal sectors have the potential to keep children out of school and disrupt their education. UNICEF research suggests that children who work over 23 hours a week are more likely to drop out of school. 1 Other major challenges include children s low readiness to learn that is influenced by their home environment and inadequate nutrition. Insufficient pre-schools for children between the ages of 3 and 5 is another challenge for children's preparation for school in Cambodia. Children who experience pre-school are more likely to be ready to learn, with better brain and physical development as well as social skills. Yet, only 35 per cent of children aged 3 to 5 years were enrolled in pre-school in academic-year 2014/15. Key Partners in Education UNICEF works with the Royal Government of Cambodia through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. We also collaborate with other key partners including: The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency; The European Union; The Global Partnership for Education; UNESCO; The World Bank; The NGO Education Partnership; Care; Krousar Thmey.

2 Getting All Children into School 1The Convention on the Rights of the Child spells out all children s right to education. In Cambodia, however, the proportion of children who start primary school and stay until the end of lower secondary school is low, due to dropouts and low enrolment into secondary school. According to UNICEF analysis, a child who started Grade 1 in school-year 2014/15 has only a 31 per cent chance of reaching the end of lower secondary school (Grade 9). Key barriers to learning include family migration, the hidden costs of education, low teacher motivation, limited capacities of teachers, language of instruction used in schools and attitudes towards children with disabilities. To make education accessible for all children in Cambodia, UNICEF is supporting to establish multilingual education in 64 pre-schools and more than 100 primary schools in five highland provinces. Multilingual Education Cambodia has more than 20 ethnic groups, most of whom live in the country s isolated, mountainous region in the northeast. Children from these ethnic groups face an uphill struggle to learn due to the long distance to schools and learning in a language that is not their mother tongue. Such children also come from families who practise a nomadic life style, which has a bearing on their education as most schools cannot cater for this mobile way of life. A creative approach in the provision of multilingual education is giving children from ethnic minorities the opportunity to participate in schooling in a language that is familiar to them. Under this scheme, students in Grade 1 study 80 per cent of their classes in their native language and 20 per cent in Khmer. Classes are gradually taught more in Khmer as students mastery of the language increases. By Grade 4, all classes are taught in Khmer. This initiative has enabled children from ethnic minorities to learn alongside their Khmer compatriots. In the long-run, continued education achievements by children from ethnic minorities will ensure the next cohort of multilingual teachers. This initiative, conducted in partnership with the Government and CARE, includes training teachers and developing learning materials in indigenous languages to make learning easier for children from ethnic minorities. UNICEF also works with partners to develop a national diploma for teachers on special needs education to ensure that schools are addressing the needs of children with disabilities. At the community level, UNICEF works to strengthen relationships among parents, schools and district authorities to ensure that the community s voice is heard and their demands met. UNICEF supports communication initiatives in selected districts to build the capacity and confidence of communities to engage with local education authorities. With greater knowledge of their rights, parents will be able to negotiate for more inclusive and better quality education as well as for greater transparency in the use of resources. Support to strengthen the quality and governance of early childhood education in Cambodia Assist the Government to provide multilingual education in pre-schools and primary schools in five highland provinces Assist in the provision of tailored catch up classes for over-aged children or those who have dropped out of school Support to develop a national diploma for teachers on special needs education for children with disabilities Support communication initiatives to strengthen the community s ability to engage with local education authorities and demand better access to education for all children UNICEF Cambodia/2015/Antoine Raab

3 2Safe Places to Learn and Develop Cambodia s schooling environment is not always conducive to children s learning due to inappropriate teaching practices and poor maintenance of facilities. The provision of clean drinking water, toilets, handwashing areas and hygiene education are major determinants of education quality in schools. Children in schools without adequate water and sanitation facilities are more likely to suffer from diarrhoea and respiratory infections which can result in their irregular attendance and dropout from school. Despite evidence showing the positive impact of safe water and clean toilets on the quality of education for children, the supply of appropriate facilities in schools remains insufficient across Cambodia. In fact, education data indicates a decreasing trend in school water coverage, with 42 per cent of primary schools without water supply in school-year 2013/14, up from 40 per cent in 2005/6. Even where toilets are available, their condition and number often do not meet acceptable standards. UNICEF Cambodia/2014/Nicolas Axelrod In line with the Government s Child-Friendly School Policy, UNICEF is working to ensure that at least 15 per cent of primary schools in selected provinces have sustained drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities. Alongside improving school facilities, UNICEF also works to increase positive teaching practices in schools. UNICEF research has revealed that corporal punishment continues to be practised by teachers in the classroom, often making schools unsafe for children. In response to this, UNICEF trains teachers on positive, alternative forms of discipline that uphold children s rights and dignity. UNICEF/UNI165041/Sharron Lovell Provide technical assistance and financial support to ensure schools have access to drinking water, sanitation and hygiene Support to train teachers on positive forms of discipline that are in line with child protection principles Enhance the capacity of district authorities to provide quality support to schools through the provision of electronic tablets and an online information and management tool for collecting and viewing school data Support the Government to build more disaster risk reduction elements into school programmes, with a focus on flood-prone provinces The Inclusive Quality Education programme addresses Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

4 UNICEF Cambodia/2015/Antoine Raab Strengthening Children's Learning 3Despite Cambodia s impressive journey in increasing access to education, improvements in the quality of education have not kept pace with these changes. Issues such as the lack of teacher capability, ineffective instruction methods, and limited community involvement in schools affect children s ability to learn effectively and achieve their full potential. Poor quality education has taken a toll on pupils learning achievements. Less than 50 per cent of pupils in Grades 3, 6, and 9 passed the standardized test on mathematics in school-years 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2013/14. UNICEF is addressing this issue through a number of interventions. On the quality side, UNICEF is supporting the Government s Teacher Policy Action Plan to ensure that teachers are properly trained to deliver good quality education. Under this plan, UNICEF is working to upgrade the qualifications of teacher trainers to a Master s degree so that incoming teacher trainees can receive quality training and work towards raising the standards of the whole education system. To identify the appropriate diagnosis of the challenges in children s learning, UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to implement the South East Asia Primary Learning Metrics Assessment system in Khmer and Mathematics. Results from the assessment will be used to inform and make adjustments to schooling, ranging from classroom teaching practices to the national curriculum, teacher education and textbooks. Provide support to the Government s teacher development reforms Assist to implement a primary regional assessment system in Mathematics and Khmer to analyse children s learning outcomes Support to introduce life skills in lower secondary schools to strengthen the quality and relevance of children s learning Out-of-school Children UNICEF has been supporting children who have dropped out of school or are overaged to catch up with their peers through an accelerated learning programme. The programme demonstrated great success in Preah Vihear, Kampong Speu and Kampot provinces. In all schools where the programme took place, 97 per cent of target children were promoted through primary school, with a dropout rate of less than 1 per cent.

5 Strengthening National Capacity 4While great improvements have been made in the Government s management of schools and teachers, challenges remain. Priorities in education include strengthening planning, statistical analysis, financial and personnel management, and most importantly, school management. UNICEF, in partnership with other agencies, works to strengthen the Government s capacity in these areas. By supporting the Government to put robust and accountable systems in place, UNICEF assists teachers to provide quality learning in classrooms and ensure that schools are places where children's talents are nurtured. Support to develop national policies related to inclusive and quality education informed by rigorous research Assist the Government in strategic and operational planning, financial management and personnel management in the education sector Support to implement the Decentralisation and Deconcentration Reform, focusing on the management of schools UNICEF Cambodia/2014/Nicolas Axelrod Estimated Budget Required for the Education Programme 9,065,000 US$ 6,560,000 US$ 3,375,000 US$ 19,000,000 US$ Total 1 Cambodian National Council for Children, Cambodia Economic Association, and UNICEF. Dropout Incidence at Primary and Lower Secondary Schools: Evidence from Scholarship Support Programs. Report

6 Fast Facts: Education 87% % % 31% Public primary school net enrolment increased from 87 per cent to 95 per cent between 2001 and per cent children aged 3 to 5 years were enrolled in pre-school in school-year 2014/15. A child who started Grade 1 in school-year 2014/15 has only a 31 percent chance of reaching the end of lower secondary school (Grade 9). 51% 42% 50% 42 per cent of primary schools were without water supply in school-year 2013/ per cent of primary school teachers are under qualified (lack the minimum requirement of 12 years of education and/or 2 years of training). Less than 50 per cent of pupils in Grades 3, 6, and 9 passed the standardized test on mathematics in school-year 2013/14. UNICEF CAMBODIA No11, Street 75, Sangkat Sraschark P.O. Box 176, Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tel: Fax: phnompenh@unicef.org Website: Get connected: facebook.com/unicefcambodia twitter.com/unicefcambodia