Reforming Cambodian
Educational System
Cambodia’s future
presents a bleak scenario. It is currently among the poorest nations on
the globe. Ravaged by war, genocide and corruption, its civic
infrastructure is in shambles. Compounding the problem, 50% of Cambodian
society is under the age of twenty. Youth, which should be an asset, is
not because adequate societal role models are few, the system of education is
flawed, and thousands of children are not attending school. Both
governmental and non-governmental organizations are finding the problem
intractable.
Children do not attend
school because they either have no family or their families exploit them for
economic reasons. In cities, the children become street hustlers,
engaging in prostitution and other vices. In rural areas, the children
must work in menial subsistence farming.
The educational system
is geared more toward developing tradesmen than it is to creating an
intellectual, professional or entrepreneurial class. Young people do not
appreciate the value of such an education when compared to the short-term
benefit of what can be earned on the street or the farm.
Our paper suggests a
counter-intuitive solution: Place greater emphasis on teaching art and
music. Studies have shown that such studies correlate with higher
achievement in math and science and have a positive effect on truancy. A
developing society needs engineers and other professionals who have a solid
background in math and science.
Creating a new class of
better educated citizens will be the first step toward Cambodia becoming a
useful member of the world community.
