# 54, Street 306, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tel: (855) 23 215 590, Tel/Fax: (855) 23 211 723, P.O.

Box 1120, e-mail: admin@clec.org.kh

The Education System in Cambodia and its Relationship with Child Labor

Laura Emily Robson June-August 2010

This Report was prepared for:

The Community Legal Education Center (CLEC) Office: #54, Street 306 Sangkat Boeung Keng Kang 1 Khan Chamkar Morn P.O Box 1120 Phnom Penh, Cambodia Tel/Fax: (855) 23 211 723 www.clec.org.kh

Authors Acknowledgements and Disclaimer

This document is for informational purposes only and is not intended to reflect any professional legal advice pertaining to labor codes and standards for the Education system in Cambodia. CLEC, NGOs, stakeholders, government ministries and individuals mentioned in this document may or may not support the viewpoints of the author. This document may be used by CLEC for their labor training and strategic planning programmes. This document may not be solicited. The findings from this report are the result of two months of field research and interviews with various stakeholders, individuals, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Cambodia. I would like to that the CLEC team in Phnom Penh for their kind support throughout this project. I would like to particularly express my gratitude to the CLEC/Labor Program Unit, (Mr. Tola Moeun and Mr. Pich Svann Huy and other team members) for their constant help and guidance, as well as teaching me so much about their country. Lastly I would like to thank my father, who has always valued education above all else, and my mother, who has been a teacher all her life.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

INDEX

1) Introduction to the Issue: Child Labor and Education..p.6 2) Historical and Cultural Contextp.7 . 3) Education as a Human Rightp.8 4) Current Situation: Overview.p.12 5) CITA and the Rights of Teachers..p.13 6) The link between Child Labor and Education...p.16 7) Progression onto Higher Education...p.18 8) Conclusionsp.19 9) Recommendations..p.20 10) Appendices...p.21

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

Map of Cambodia

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

1) Introduction to the Issue: Child Labor and Education Education is a key element in the prevention of child labor; at the same time, child labor is one of the main obstacles to Education for All (EFA). Understanding the interplay between education and child labor is therefore critical to achieving both EFA and child labor elimination goals. Child labor in any form, but most especially the hazardous physical labor that children in the rural areas and factories often undertake, severely harms a childs ability to firstly enter, and subsequently to survive once in the education system. Furthermore, working in either a family or non-family environment whilst also attempting to regularly attend school means that the child who is trying to combine both work and study and will benefit far less from the academic instruction available to him or her resulting in a higher risk of leaving school early. This report aims to illustrate how child labor impedes a childs ability to enter and survive in the school system, and makes it more difficult for a child to derive educational benefit from school once in the system. With regard to the link between education provision and child labor, the research conducted for this report hopes to convey the severity of the detrimental role of inadequate schooling in keeping children out of the classroom and in work. There is evidence to suggest that both the quality and access to schooling are primary factors in household decisions concerning whether to invest in childrens human capital by sending them to school. The international communitys efforts to achieve Education for All (EFA), which is a UNESCO program that consists of six internationally agreed education goals aimed to meet the learning needs of children, youth and adults by 2015 and the progressive elimination of child labor are inextricably linked. There is a broad acknowledgement that one of the most effective and full-proof ways to prevent school-aged children from entering the work force is to improve access to education. That way, the families that up until now need their children to work in order to survive financially will instead be able to invest in their childrens education and eventually see that the results of such an investment are far more beneficial in the long run than those associated with child labor. It must be also noted that essentially, child labor is the main obstacle to fully achieving the goal of EFA as work is in direct competition with education. Child labor is the major obstacle to secure education for all: there is simply not enough time to do both, and moreover, the physical and emotional strain on children due to their work in the agricultural or business sector is a severe hindrance to their ability to perform academically. Furthermore, high levels of child labor translate on a general basis into large numbers of out-of-school children which in turn means lower overall attendance rates and a slower process in attaining basic education for all. Child labor therefore adversely affects the academic achievement of the considerable number of children who combine work and school, often resulting in these children leaving school prematurely and entering into work for want of money.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

By examining the relationship between school non-enrolment and child labor, the UCW report on Child Labor and Education for All uses a very useful description to explain the two main reasons why children are often led into the workforce rather than the classroom. To cite the report, the direction of causality is not always apparent. In some cases, children are pushed into work by poor quality, irrelevant or inaccessible schools, while in other cases children are pulled from school and into work by household poverty or other economic motives. The policy implications of this distinction are clear: where push factors prevail, supply-side policy measures targeting the school system hold particular promise for reducing child labor; where pull factors are relevant, demandside policy measures targeting the household are also needed for an effective response to child labor. 2) Historical Context & Cultural Background In an attempt to rebuild a new Cambodia with new revolutionary men and women, the Khmer Rouge set out to eradicate the old elements of Cambodias society, including the old education system. Like their Maoist counterparts in China, the Khmer Rouge leaders emphasized manual labor and political correctness over knowledge. They claimed "rice fields were books, and hoes were pencils." As such, Cambodia did not need an educational system. The Khmer Rouge leaders deliberately destroyed the foundations of a modern education. People with higher education such as doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors, and former college students were killed or forced to work in labor camps. The Khmer Rouge also engaged in the physical destruction of institutional infrastructure for higher education such as books, buildings, and other educational resources. It is estimated that by the end of the Khmer Rouge time, between 75 and 80 percent of Cambodian educators either were killed, died of overwork, or left the country. At least half of the written material available in the Khmer language was destroyed. After coming to power with Vietnamese help in 1979, the government of the PRK attempted to redevelop the education system. Although significant progress was made, the process of educational redevelopment was hampered by war and lack of resources, human as well as material. The PRK government undertook a massive rehabilitation program aimed at enrolling as many students as possible. The slogan of the time was "those who know more teach those who know less." Those with almost any level of education were encouraged to work as teachers, and efforts were made to identify and encourage formers teachers, professors, and bureaucrats in the field of education to participate in this difficult endeavor. Potential teachers were given short-term training for one month, three weeks or even two weeks and then assigned teaching jobs. With many buildings destroyed, classes were taught in shacks made of leaves with dirt floors or in some places instruction was given outside under the trees. Given the enormity of destruction caused by the Khmer Rouge regime, one could see significant progress in the field of education during the 1980s. From an empty handed position, the PRK government was able to reestablish a semblance of an educational system from preschool to university. A number of students were offered scholarships by host countries in the former Soviet block to pursue higher education.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

Because the PRK government was engaged in fighting a civil war with the Khmer Rouge and other two non-communist resistant movements the field of education was not given much priority. With budgetary constraints, the need for manpower to serve in the army, and a centrally planned economy, the PRK government set limits on the number of students who could enter into upper secondary school, and universities. Such restrictions generated widespread corruption, favoritism, and nepotism within the educational system as wealthy and influential parents either paid bribes or used their political power to secure seats for their children in these institutions. Such practices, compounded by low skill level of educators, significantly slowed the development of the educational system. 1 Under this system that emphasized quantity over quality, and given the destruction of the DK regime, it is easy to understand why literacy rates for Cambodia are quite low. New research conducted in 2000, which actually administered writing exercises rather than allowing self-identification as readers, found that literacy levels for the country were lower than previously estimated. The report divided the respondents into three groups: the complete illiterate (36.3 %), the semi-literate (26.6 %) and the literate (37.1 %). The latter were further divided into those with a basic level of literacy (11.3 %), with a medium level (64 %) and a self-learning level (those who read all kinds of materials in search of new knowledge) (24.7 %). Combining the first two categories of illiterate and semi-literate, this means that 62.9 percent of the adult population of Cambodia, or 6.5 million people, are basically illiterate (MEYS 2000). Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world. 3) Education as a Human Right The Childs right to an education is universal and indisputable thanks to several key pieces of legislation. Being deprived of this right is one of the most important factors that perpetuates the cycle of child labor. Education is a fundamental human right: every child is entitled to it. It is critical to our development as individuals and as societies, and it helps pave the way to a successful and productive future. By ensuring that children have access to a rights-based, quality education that is rooted in gender equality, a ripple effect of opportunity is created that impacts generations to come. It ends generational cycles of poverty and disease and provides a foundation for sustainable development. Moreover, a quality basic education better equips girls and boys with the knowledge and skills necessary to adopt healthy lifestyles and take an active role in social, economic and political decision-making as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. Educated adults are more likely to have fewer children, to be informed about appropriate childrearing practices and to ensure that their children start school on time and are ready to learn. In addition, a rights-based approach to education can address some of societies deeply rooted inequalities. These inequalities condemn millions of children, particularly
1

Education in Cambodia, Retrieved from http://www.seasite.niu.edu/khmer/Ledgerwood/education.htm

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

girls, to a life without quality education and, therefore, to a life of missed opportunities.2 In 1989, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC is a universally agreed set of non-negotiable standards and obligations relating to human rights, especially for children. According to the UN Convention on the rights of the Child, children (persons from the age of 18 and below) are entitled to a variety of specific rights that are particular to them as they fall under a category deemed especially in need of extra protection. Along with education, many advocates of childrens rights recognize that the child has the right to nutrition, protection and development. Several important aspects of the convention are stipulated below. The Convention on the Rights of the Child Some of the highlights of the Convention include:

A childs right to life; Decisions that affect children should be based on their best interests; Protection for children from physical or mental harm and neglect; A childs right to the highest attainable standard of health; Free and compulsory education for all children; Children shall have time to rest and play and equal opportunities for cultural and artistic activities; Protection for children from economic exploitation; All efforts shall be made to eliminate the abduction and trafficking of children; No child under 15 shall take any part in hostilities or conflict; and children of minority and indigenous populations shall freely enjoy their own culture, religion and language.3

Since the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989, there has been considerable progress made with regards to securing a basic education for all children on a global scale. There are, none the less, problems that still remain to hinder progress, particularly in countries that suffer from extreme poverty or economic challenges. Cambodia is one of those countries. Unfortunately, however, this convention was not enough to illicit any real change from many of the countries that were most in need of it. UNESCO provided technical assistance to the national authorities of Cambodia in creating the Draft Education Law of Cambodia. Modifications were introduced in line with international legal obligations following UNESCO recommendations and keeping EFA (Education for All) as a priority. Following a comprehensive review, improvements in the draft were suggested including sections on the principles and norms of the right to education and rights and responsibilities of teachers, parents, learners and the community.
UNICEF HQ, 12 May 2010, http://www.unicef.org/girlseducation/index.php. A Guide to Childrens Rights: Rights of the Child Including Education, Nutrition and Development, Retrieved from http://childrens-rights.suite 101.com
3
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

Technical and vocational education, non-formal education and literacy for empowerment were also covered. Emphasis was placed upon quality basic education and equality of educational opportunity including providing basic education for street children, ensuring gender equity and positive measures in favor of marginalized groups, ethnic communities and children from poor households.4 Child Labor has recently become an extremely sensitive issue for Cambodia. The exploitation of children under the age of 18 for economic gain is prevalent still, in spite of numerous attempts from the government, stakeholders, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations to try to quell the rising tide of underage youths being forced for financial and social reasons into dangerous and dead-end employment. The sensitivity of the issue lies in the conflict of interest between employers of working children and advocates of the ILO Convention 182. Thus, any attempt to visit or to ask directly about the number of child workers on specific sites is likely to face negative reactions from those employers who favored child labor. The number of children actually seen is likely to underestimate the reality as child workers may be warned in advance not to come. The non-cooperation from employers is not unexpected, but it does however render investigating the extent to which child labor is still practiced in Cambodia more difficult to carry out with complete accuracy. UNESCO provided technical assistance to the national authorities of Cambodia in creating the Draft Education Law of Cambodia. Modifications were introduced in line with international legal obligations following UNESCO recommendations and keeping EFA (Education for All) as a priority. Following a comprehensive review, improvements in the draft were suggested including sections on the principles and norms of the right to education and rights and responsibilities of teachers, parents, learners and the community. Technical and vocational education, non-formal education and literacy for empowerment were also covered. Emphasis was placed upon quality basic education and equality of educational opportunity including providing basic education for street children, ensuring gender equity and positive measures in favor of marginalized groups, ethnic communities and children from poor households.5 Children in Cambodia continue to work in exploitive plantations, in salt production, in fish processing, as porters, in brick making, in the service sector and as garbage pickers. They also work in occupations that are determined by the Government (under the guidelines of the Convention 132) as being hazardous, including processing sea products, such as shrimp; breaking, quarrying or collecting stones; working in gem and coal mining; working in garment factories; working in restaurants; and making handicrafts. Children work as domestic servants; most child domestics are girls of 15-17 years, who work between 6 and 16 hours per day.6
http://www.unesco.org/en/right-to-education/support-and-cooperation/technical-assistance/ http://www.unesco.org/en/right-to-education/support-and-cooperation/technical-assistance/ 6 US Department of Laborss 2008 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, US Department of International Affaires, Washington DC 2008, pp.35.
5
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

Moreover, the Cambodian Labor Law sets the minimum age for wage employment at 15 years. However, it also concedes that children are permitted to do light work from the age of 12 on the condition that the work is not hazardous to their health or mental and physical development and will not affect their regular school attendance or vocational training approved by a competent authority. This is reinforced by the ILO Convention 138 that states that children under the age of 18 are not permitted to work in dangerous environments.7 This declaration apparently sets limits on the working hours of children from the age of 12-15 years: 7 hours maximum on non-school days and 4 hours on school days between the hours of 6 and 8pm. Considering the fact that child labor is still today ubiquitous in Cambodia, one must question to what extend these measures are effective. Furthermore, Convention 182 calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor, as well as child labor that violates rights to a childs development. Among other things, the Convention recognized that child labor is to a great extent caused by poverty and that the long-term solution lies in sustained economic growth leading to social progress, in particular poverty alleviation and universal education. It also makes a point of recalling the Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 20 November 1989. In Article 3, the Convention also specified the term, "the worst forms of child labor" which goes as follows: (a) all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labor, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict; (b) the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances; (c) the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties; (d) work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children. Furthermore, in Section C of Article 7, the Convention states that each member must, ensure access to free basic education, and, wherever possible and appropriate, vocational training, for all children removed from the worst forms of child labor which is a step the ILO deem crucial for the ending of Child labor. 4) Current Situation Overview: AT present, the vast majority of child workers in Asia work on family-owned farms in the rural areas, although child labor can be found in many other sectors of the economy
ILO Convention 138, Article 3, The minimum age for admission to any type of employment or work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out is likely to jeopardize the health, safety or morals of young persons shall not be less than 18 years.
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

as well. Indeed, children in Cambodia, as well as other parts of Asia, can be found in virtually every type of occupation - begging, scavenging for recyclables, baggagecarrying (porters), rickshaw driving, garment manufacture, carpet weaving, mining, commercial sex, fishing, brick-making, and construction work.
In the 1990s, after the Paris Agreements and the UN sponsored elections, there were significant changes in the education system. As part of the countrys new election campaigning, many new school buildings were constructed. The percentage of the national budget for education has increased, reaching 7.7 percent in 2000 and 15.67 percent in 2001 (GAD/C 2002). More materials became available through donor funding. For example, in 1993-94 the expenditures on books were about 50 riel (about .02 US) per pupil or the equivalent of supplying one book per student every 20 years. Seven or eight students were sharing one book (UNESCO 1998). Since then new curricula, teachers manuals and student textbooks have been developed for grades 1-9. These new books have been printed in sufficient numbers for one book for every child in every subject. A 1998 UNESCO report notes that for many children this is the first book they will ever own (1998:19).

According to the United Nations Development Program, 80% of Cambodians attend primary school; however, only 19% continue on to secondary. The estimated literacy levels in Cambodia vary, depending on survey methodology and definition of literacy. A literacy survey (UNESCO/UNDP,2000) estimated that only 36% of the population is literate in terms of being able to use their literacy skills for everyday life and income generation with another 35% of the population (approx. 2.6 million adults) are illiterate and 27% are semi-illiterate (1.9 million adults). Combining these two figures indicates that 63% of the populations literacy skills are below the functional level. 63% of 14,000,000, the approximate number of people living in Cambodia, is approximately 8.8 million. Hence, since the beginning of the new millennium, nearly 9 million people in Cambodia are in need on literacy instruction.8 The modern national education system in Cambodia of twelve years primary and secondary education started as recently as 1996-7. It is meant to be free and compulsory, which is not the case today. There are also several key problems that result in an ineffective national education system, such as lack of funding from the Government. According to UNESCO, Cambodia only spends 1.6% of GDP on education. In contrast, governments around the world spend much more: East Asia and the Pacific (2.8%); Central Asia (2.8%); Central and Eastern Europe (4.2%); Latin America and the Caribbean (4.4%); sub-Saharan Africa (4.5%); the Arab States (4.9%); North America and Western Europe (5.6%).9 A study by Mark Bray (1998) documented the high costs of education placed on Cambodian parents. This survey of 77 schools in 11 provinces and Phnom Penh found that families and communities pay 74.8 percent of the costs of primary education, with the government paying only 12.9 percent. This is one of the lowest government contributions to primary education in the world (cited in UNESCO 2000:23). For many rural families who live by subsistence agriculture, education costs
Rosenburg, J., 2004, February, Adult Literacy in Cambodia, pp.3.. Costello, B., Cambodias impoverished education system, The Borneo Post, Retrieved from http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=29135, 28/06/2010.
9
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

are the highest expense they face annually. Often they cannot afford to educate all of their children and will have to choose certain children to attend.
The lack of funding is also responsible for the shortage of supplies and teaching materials that plague the state education institutions. It means that they lack appropriate facilities such as sports grounds and catering, as attested to by the Director of the Royal University of Phnom Penhs Department of Media and Communication, Tieng Sopheak Vichea, who acknowledges that his department is in spite of its shortages still exceptionally well of by comparison to other state schools. The lack of funding is one of the main reasons for the low teachers salaries10 that discourage Cambodian youths from wanting to become educators and mean that the quality of teaching remains poor. It is also one of the prime contributors to the poor transportation and delivery of education to rural areas. This results in a flagrant disparity between rural and

urban schooling.11 5) CITA and the Rights of Teachers. According to World Bank figures there are on average 50 students per teacher in Cambodian classrooms. The Cambodian Independent Teachers Association (CITA) was
launched in March 2000 and following international pressure on the Cambodian Government, was formally recognized by the Ministry of the Interior in July 2001. CITA is one of the only independent trade unions in Cambodia and works to protect and promote the rights of teachers. The most pervasive problems stem from the low wages teachers receive. Because teachers salaries start from US$50 per month, teachers often have to supplement their income to survive. Many take second jobs which limits the amount of time available to prepare lesson plans and teach at school. While public education is supposed to be free, many teachers charge their students informal fees for attending class. Daily bribes cost roughly US$0.20 per day. Thus, 12 poorer students receive less of an education and often end up dropping out.

Teachers are being given additional training, but the educational level of teachers remains rather low over all. Six percent of Cambodias teachers have a primary education, 77 percent have attended lower secondary school, 14 percent upper secondary school and only 3 percent have a tertiary education (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport 1998).CITA aims primarily to improve the quality and education in Cambodia and achieve education for all whilst improving teachers standard of living an fostering their professional development through teacher training programs. The US Embassy in Phnom Penh notes on its website on of its most recent speeches which is worth quoting here for as it is an illustration of the support given to the CITA by international sources, Cambodia's population is young, and I think we all agree that the development of this countrys youth is also the development of its future. The foundation for this is education and associated knowledge and skills to help oneself with this
10

Teachers are paid as little as ten dollars per month. Since they cannot live on such wages, they must supplement their income with other jobs, which often cuts into class times. In addition, the teachers must also charge students fees to attend their classes, or offer additional for-fee classes outside the regular class times. This means that the poorest students are often locked out of classes where the real teaching occurs. Education in Cambodia, Retreived from http://www.seasite.niu.edu/khmer/Ledgerwood/education.htm. 11 See Table 1. 12 Costello, B., Cambodias impoverished education system,
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

comes long-term economic strength and stability. There is simply no more important work than education, and I applaud all of you - and CITA for supporting you - in this effort to improve Cambodias future.13 However, in spite of this support, on a day to day basis at ground level, things are much less than ideal for the CITAs members. A recent example of the type of harassment and pressuring that members of the CITA are subjected to by the Government is epitomized in a recent court case that involved its Director. The Prey Veng provincial court found Neak Loeung Secondary School teacher Chin Rithy guilty of defaming the school's principal following a land dispute. On November 11, 2009, the decision imposed a fine of 5 million riels (USD$1250) and ordered Chin Rithy to pay 5 million riel in compensation to the principal, Youen Sovuthy. The defamation charge stemmed from a complaint filed by Chin Rithy to the Provincial Education Department on April 30, 2009, accusing Yoeun Sovuthy of selling school land to fellow teacher Pang Samet. The 3-hour trial was attended by 15 CITA members, including CITA president, Rong Chhun, and other NGOs supporting Chin Rithy. The illegal selling of public stand land, such as school grounds, remains a serious issue which should be dealt with.14 And yet, in a recent report dated 22 June of this year, (2010), The Phnom Penh Post revealed suspicions of bribery and corruption within the current education system. The president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association Rong Chhun claimed that brokers acting on behalf of education officials had been collecting as much as US$35 from parents and teachers hoping to influence the results of exams scheduled to start in two weeks. It spoils the quality of education when corruption occurs, he said. Touch Sam Oeun, director of the Education Department in Kandal province, where Rong Chhun said bribery was rampant, rejected claims that brokers were collecting bribes.15 This is not the first time that the CITA, which is traditionally affiliated with the main opposition Sam Rainsy Party, have come under attack from the government in recent years: On October 5, 2009, riot police dispersed a peaceful march of 70 CITA members in Phnom Penh marking World Teacher Day. The teachers were displaying banners calling for increases in teacher salaries, which currently range between 280,000 to 300,000 riel ($70 to $75) a month. In January 2009, Treal Secondary School Teacher (Kompong Thom province) and CITA member, Sun Thun was forcibly transferred from his position after he spoke out about alleged corrupt practices undertaken by his fellow teachers. On June 21, 2006, Wat Mohamontrey Primary School teacher and CITA member, Em Pun Ny, suffered head injuries after being beaten with a stone. She had been distributing information regarding a proposed CITA strike to demand increased

13 14

http://cambodia.usembassy.gov/sp_122909.html, December 29, 2009. 2009, December 8, Cambodian Teacher convicted of defamation in Land Dispute with School Principle. Retrieved from: http://www.licadho-cambodia.org/articles/20091208/102/index.html. 15 2010, 22 June, City Urges action on Exam Bribery, The Phnom Penh Post, Yuthana, K.
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

salaries and improved working conditions. Em Pun Ny claimed that she was attacked by Yim Sokha, deputy director of the District Education Department, and filed a complaint to the Phnom Penh municipal court. To date, no progress has been reported in the case. In October 2005, CITA President Rong Chhun was arrested and charged with defamation and incitement in connection with a press statement signed by him and three other members of the Cambodia Watchdog Council, a coalition of trade unions and associations. The statement related to the Cambodian government's signing of the Cambodia-Vietnam border treaty. He was released on bail on January 17, 2006.16

If teachers are unable to achieve a better quality life style, their professional position will become less and less desirable in the eyes of Cambodian youths. In light of the rather severe shortage of teachers in Cambodia at present, anything but encouragement to become an educator is troubling. As Thong Roath, interviewed by CITA for their leaflet said, I have been teaching at a primary school for 18 years. The main problem is the poor standard of living for teachers who have to survive on $40 a month. My main message to the government would be that Teaching salaries must be suitable if stomachs are empty then teaching will be careless! How can children respect teachers if they have dirty clothes and come straight from the paddy fields? They need dignity to be respected role models.17 6) The link between Child Labor and Education: THE 2008 US Department of Labor reported in the country profile of Cambodia, it appears that the state of the child labor situation, in spite of some progress in recent years, still remains one of the most desperate to persist into the 21st Century. There are manifold reasons as to why children enter the work force from as early as 5 years old. However, some of the more prominent reasons have been targeted by Dr Poch Bunnak, at the Center for Population Studies at the University of Phnom Penh in his report entitled, Child Labor in Brick Factories: Causes and Consequences. According to Dr Bunnak, the primary reason for the early involvement of children in labor is due to their parents need for their labor, in addition to the family economic hardship. Dropouts: According to Dr. Bannaks report on the impact of child labor on education, he states that compared to those with shorter work duration, child workers who worked longer than two years exhibit a much higher rate of school dropouts (37% versus 7.7%, respectively), poor grades (52.6% versus 21.4%), school tardiness (47.4% versus 28.6%), and skipping classes (42.1% versus 7.1%). The interviewed parents also confirmed that, since starting to work, their children had developed negative attitudes towards their schooling, irregular school attendance, and poorer grades than before. This is backed up by research from the World Bank, that show how working at a young age has a considerably negative impact on the childs ability to perform at school. World Bank
16 17

http://www.licadho-cambodia.org/articles/20091208/102/index.html Roath, Thong, The Cambodian Independent Teachers Association, CITA, pp. 6.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

(2005), using test score data from a nationally representative survey of primary schools in Cambodia, reported that work had a significant detrimental effect on learning achievement, particularly among fourth-graders. Estimated models for literacy and numeric test scores indicated that working every day before going to school reduced literacy and numeric test scores of Cambodian fourth-graders both by about nine percentage points. See Table 2.18 Poverty has a strong, direct and bilateral link to childrens schooling. First, lack of money to pay school costs and school-related expenses can be a factor for engaging in child labor, in an attempt to earn some money for continuing their schooling. In a study of child labor conducted for the WVC by the Center for Population Studies at RUPP (Royal University of Phnom Penh), 31.6% of scavengers visiting the WVC drop-in center, 31% of child workers in the fish industry and about 10% of brick workers entered into the labor force for this reason, (WVC, 2006). Expecting the positive contribution of child labor to the family well being, some parents force their children to work in order for them to help with the familys daily work, to help the family earn money to pay debts, or to have a place to stay, (WVC. 2005: WVC 2006). Additionally, child labor comes cheap. According to the CCLS 2001, the top third reason for establishments to employ children under the age of 18 was the absence of trade unions (15.6%).19 Child workers are therefore entirely at the mercy of their employers and completely unprotected. They have little or no legal representation at the work place to enforce and defend their rights and furthermore, they are at an even higher risk of being victims of their employers exploitation, or of signing a contract of which they do not understand or appreciate the requirements and commitments due to their lack of sufficient education or, in other words, the high rate of illiteracy. In a further note, the negative impact of child labor on child health can have worrisome consequences on the mental development of children. Negative psychological aspects included decreased school performance, decreased participation in extracurricular and social activities, increased use of alcohol, and a consistent pattern of inadequate sleep, (NIOSH, 1997).20

The Schooling Status of the Child Brick Workers as recorded by Dr. Bunnaks research team: Schooling Status Currently in school 25% Currently not in school 68.9% Never Attended school 6.1% Number of Child Workers 132
Guarcello, L., et al., Child Labor and Education For All: an issue paper, November 2006, Understanding Childrens Work Project Working Paper Series, UCW, p. 12. 19 Table 8.2 in the National Institute of Statistics, 2002. 20 NIOSH, 1997, Child Labor Research Needs: Recommendations from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, US Department of Health and Human Services and CDC. Accessed online at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/97-143a.html.
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

18

These figures give a good indication that a fair number of students drop out of their education of whatever reason, often within two years of having begun work. Various reasons are given by the children for this decision. For example, 12% of child workers who quite school said that their families were too poor to afford their school fees, while about 10% of child workers reported that they did not have transport to school. Overall, however, Dr. Bunnak concludes that the family economic hardships stand out to be the leading reason for child to work, at the expense of their education.21 Regardless of the varying reasons for school dropout, the link between the full-time work these children perform and the rates and reasons for their discontinued attendance is highlighted and exemplified by this research. The impact of working full-time on exhausting and dangerous worksites on a childs school career is evident. The percent of school dropouts is higher among children with longer working hours than their counterparts with short work duration, (37% versus 7.7%, respectively). Moreover, it is reported that all children who work experience school-related problems in some form or other, (see Dr. Banneks Child Labor Report, Table 7). 7) Progression onto Higher Education It is crucial that children enter primary education at the appropriate age in order to progress onto secondary education to complete a degree and become qualified to work in the Global market. Secondary education had a little over one fourth of the eligible children enrolled, and it drops even more on the university level with barely 1 percent of the university-age population enrolled in an institution of higher learning.22 One of the major problems they face is that of skilled teachers "going private" and simply offering tuition for a fee of perhaps $20 per month per student. These teachers may be earning four or more times their state school counterparts, but the effect is to undermine the State system, and also to widen the gap between rich and poor.23This practice creates an elitism that some teachers condemn. However, some teachers believe this opens up more spaces in the state education system for students who cannot afford private school fees to study in an institute of higher education. The effects of work on school attendance can also take a more indirect form. Work can lead to late school entry, which, in turn, is often associated with early school drop out and lack of completion of a course of study. Research in Cambodia illustrates this, indicating that work tends to delay school entry (or prevent it altogether), reducing the probability of completing primary school (UCW, 2005b).This effect is strongest for economic activities and for boys in Cambodia. Performing economic activity reduces the probability of entering school (as measured by the probability of entering school by age

21

Bunnak, P., Dr., Child Labor in Brick Factories: Causes and Consequences, Center for Population Studies at Royal University of Phnom Penh, August 2007. 22 http://www.asianinfo.org/asianinfo/cambodia/pro-education.htm 23 http://www.savong.com/Home/EducationFactsandFiguresCambodia/tabid/114/Default.aspx
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

14) of boys by 25%, and the probability of entering by the official school entry age by 17%. See Table 3. 24 Between the ages of ten and thirteen, 10% of Cambodian children are engaged in primary levels of labor. Between the ages of fourteen and seventeen, the rate climbs to 42%. Only 5.4% of Cambodian villages have a lower secondary school. Only 2% have an upper secondary. Students who want to attend secondary school must walk miles to reach the nearest school. In its Millennium Development Goals, two of the Cambodian government's top major goals are to achieve universal primary education and to promote gender equality and empowerment of women.25 CONCLUSION: Education and the childs right to a basic education is a delicate subject in Cambodia. In the wake of the destruction that the Khmer Rouge left behind them, as Cambodia tries to rebuild itself economically and culturally, the education of its youngest generations is being sadly overlooked. The importance of education is fully acknowledged, however, by many of the higher authorities in the Cambodian government. To quote the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, (UNESCO) Providing the right to education is an obligation of governments and requires that they translate their international commitments into national legislation. Yet the laws and regulations that are supposedly used to ensure that each child receives a free and complete basic education are not being implemented effectively. As a result of the nations tragic loss of life during the Khmer Rouge period and following civil wars, it must be carefully noted when summing up that Cambodia is an extremely unique country demographically speaking. According to the 1998 Census, the age-related distribution and the sex-profile are particularly unusual and illustrate the effect that the massacre of the intelligentsia and professionals in Cambodia has had on the countrys make-up.26 This means that Cambodias youth is far larger than other countries and gives Cambodia enormous potential to develop in the near future. However, at a time when much of Asia is on the rise, Cambodia is being left behind largely because its education system is unable to produce a skilled workforce. Cambodias current population is very young of Cambodia's 14.4 million people, half are under age 22. Education is crucial to Cambodias economic development and poverty reduction and this has been recognized by both the Government of Cambodia and international donors. The vicious cycle of poverty that leads to child labor, and consequently the denial of a full and quality education only revert back to a life of poverty for those who are trapped in the system, (Poverty Child Labor Lack of Education Poverty). By creating the

24

Guarcello, L., et al., Child Labor and Education For All: an issue paper, November 2006, Understanding Childrens Work Project Working Paper Series, UCW, p. 7. http://www.roomtoread.org/Page.aspx?pid=300 See Figure 1.

25 26

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

opportunity for EFA and then actually putting that policy into practice, the continuation of child labor will no longer pose such a threat to the future of Cambodias children. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) Efforts against child labor should make sure that child workers have equal chance to attend school, that they attend school, and that they stay in school to complete at least their basic education. If they cannot attend school regularly, for whatever reason continued education should be provided either at the work place or at a designated place. 2) Adult Education and NFE Programs: Effective adult basic education programs could contribute directly and powerfully to poverty reduction. They deliver crucial basic literacy and numeric skills that equip disadvantaged individuals to improve their livelihoods and quality of life. Adult basic education also complements primary schooling, not only giving a second chance to those who have been missed by primary schooling, but also because parents who take adult basic education become more supportive of primary education for their children.27 3) Government funding: In spite of dramatic developments in the education sector in recent years, admittedly just 1.6% of Cambodia's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) according to UNESCO is spent on education - ranking around 170th in the world. Most western countries spend around 5.5% to 6.4% of GDP on education. Thus the Government needs to fulfill its constitutional requirement to provide a quality education to its younger generations by funding the system appropriately in order for the level of teaching and school facilities meet internationally approved standards. 4) The enactment of effective laws relating to child labor is an important element of the efforts to ensure children do not enter the workforce prematurely. Without adequate enforcement, child labor laws alone have little meaning. The government needs to enhance its legal framework regarding childrens rights and specifically educational rights, as this will reinforce the measures taken to combat child labor. 5) Vocational Training should be made available for all as well as efforts made to focus on services to parents in order that they become more likely to keep their children in school and out of work. 6) Stop allowing Governments to bypass, ignore or manipulate current regulations, conventions and laws as this practice allows child labor and the deliverance of poor quality education to continue uncontested. There should be specific stipends by which each and every country must abide by and if there are extenuating circumstances leading to a lessening or loosening of restrictions such an extension should be monitored properly and be a clear and finite time period to avoid such action being taken for granted.

27

World Bank, Report: Reduction in Strategy Paper: A Sourcebook, Accessed in Rosenburgs Research Report, Adult Literacy in Cambodia pp. 2.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

Appendix 1. Figure 128

Table 1) Estimated impact of childrens work on learning achievement, Cambodia. Grade 4 Literacy -13.6* -9.1* Grade 6 Literacy -8.1* -1.3

No School Effects With School Effects

Numeracy -16.2* -8.5*

Numeracy -9.3* -1.1

Notes: (a) Reported figures measure the change in percentage points (on a 0 to 100 scale) in test scores resulting from working every day before going to school. *statistically significant at 5% level Source: World Bank (2005), Cambodia: Quality Basic Education For All.

28

http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/images/pyramids.jpg

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

Table 1. Literacy Rates Among Population 15 years of Age and Above Illiterate 66.6 41 46.2 37.5 36 39.1 28.8 44.9 69.9 85.2 41.3 24.6 65.2 13.5 63.6 26.5 31.8 38.1 33.7 29.4 46.4 24.3 37 34.6 52.3 Semi-Literate 26.6 25.6 46.2 56.3 24.1 23.4 23.9 24.7 13.3 7.4 32.5 27.3 20.3 28.7 21.1 33.8 31.6 24.3 27.4 31.9 22.2 35.1 30.5 28.2 23 Literate 37.1 33.3 7.7 6.3 40 37.6 47.8 10.3 17.8 7.4 26.2 48.2 14.5 57.9 15.3 39.7 36.8 42.7 38.9 38.7 31.5 40.6 32.5 37.2 24.8

Cambodia U.meanchey Pailin Kep Takeo Svay Reing Stungtreng Sihanouk V Seimreap Ratanakiry Posat Prey Veng Preahvihear Phnom Penh Moldolkin Krati Kohkong Kandal Kampot K Thom K Speu K Chhnang K Cham Battambang B meanchey

Table 2. 29 Overview of Action Taken by NGO Education Programs Number of NGOs working in the field of literacy Number of literacy classes in most recent year (2006) Number of classroom hours designated to achieve basic literacy 38 2600 200

Rosenbloom, J., 2004, February, Adult Literacy in Cambodia: Research Report, Accessed online at http://www.pactcambodia.org/Publications/WORTH_Education/Adult_Literacy_in_Cambodia.pdf
The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

29

Table 3. 30 Literacy and Economic Standards Economic Standard Male Illiterate High Income Medium Income Low Income 16.3% 14.9% 35.9% SemiLiterate 37.2% 27.5% 27.7% Literate 46.5% 57.6% 36.6% Female Illiterate 24.5% 31.1% 58.2% SemiLiterate 18.9% 28.4% 23.5% Literate 56.5% 40.5% 18.2%

Appendix 2. Interview Questions: Rong Chhun, Director of CITA

Interview by Laura E I Robson for CLEC (Cambodian Legal Education Center) 1st July 2010 1) Why is protecting teachers rights important for Cambodia? - CITA was formed in 2000 as teachers rights were not protected by the government. Teachers have very poor working conditions and work for low wages...By uniting they are empowered. This is the only way to ensure their rights and promote and upgrade their facilities. 2) What makes teachers a particularly vulnerable group? - Teachers are powerless. They lack legal foundations and fear powerful people. They are aware of their rights but have not got the means to exercise these rights. They dont know how to approach the situation. Their wages are low and therefore they fear termination and punishments like not being able to invigilate exams or bans on assignments. Also they may lose their benefits.
30

Rosenbloom, J., pp. 17.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

3) How will you encourage more teachers to join the CITA when many are afraid of Government punishments if they do? - CITA has to protect teachers rights and when members are punished they advocate and send letters to the Government. They also educate the teachers in ways to protect themselves. For example there is a peer-protection scheme in place where abuse can be reported and the victim receives support. CITA also works with partners, local and international NGOs and embassies to get their message out via the media. 4) Do you think the Government should provide more funding for schools and teacher training? - In order to promote the education system, the remote and urban schools should be funded more. The wages in particular should be higher. The budget for teaching aid and materials and equipment should be larger and buildings need to be expanded and improved upon.

5) What do you feel should be done about the children who work from a young age instead of going to school? CITA is very concerned about child workers and their future. Many children are working on dumpsites, selling flowers, cart pulling, in brick factories or on salt farms. They lack the opportunity to get to school. I recently spoke to a group of children who were selling bird eggs. They had a manager who sent out children from the age of 7 to 10 at 10 or 11pm in the evening. They got 50,000 riel per month but the money didnt go to them, it went to their parents. I consider this abuse a form of trafficking. As far as I have seen ILO are trying to eliminate child labor but in reality the project is very slow.

6) Do you think that the Education for All Program is possible? I recommend that in order to eliminate child labor there should be participation from all sides. Firstly there should be more efficient poverty reduction. Then there should be law enforcement; the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Interior must work by themselves and take initiative to protect. They should also punish those who benefit from child trafficking. In reality the institutions are not active about child labor. Therefore no, I dont think the EFAs targeted goals are possible. It is 2010 and there is only 5 years left it isnt enough. It wont be successful as a development strategy. So the ministries report 95% of children go to primary school but only 31.9% pass. That means 67 or 68% dont make it.

7) Why is there such a high number of drop-outs?

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

- There are many factors for this. But one of the main factors is poverty. The highspending for schooling and parents who take them out of school to work for money mean that some children reach grade 6 but are told my their family to leave school and are made to work in a factory. Children also drop out because they are hopeless and dont see an education as good for the future when there is so much unemployment. 7) You said in your speech in 2009 at the ATL Conference that most primary school teachers only receive secondary education. Do you feel they should be more highly qualified or receive teachers training? The more training teachers receive, the better.

8) Do you think parents should be legally required to send their children to school and be punished if they do not? - I think this is a good law. However it would be very controversial here in Cambodia. But it is a good way to ensure parents send their children to school. The Cambodian Government care less about child protection than in countries like England, where even poor people are cared for by the state.

9) Education in Cambodia is supposed to be compulsory and free. However, The Phnom Penh Post reported on the 22 June of this year that a school in Kandal Provence was accepting bribes. Do you believe it is possible to convict those involved and therefore eliminate this type of injustice within the education system? Education has been compulsory and free since 2000. But in reality students have to spend money to pay for lessons (about 500 700 riel).

10) You stated in your speech to the ATL conference that Education is crucial to reducing poverty. Could you elaborate on this or explain your reasons for this comment? Each country needs good human resource. Each country needs high quality education system. So education is a crucial part of economic development and poverty reduction because when people are capable of working for socioeconomic development it helps their country. Especially when I visited England I found that the Government took care of the education system and of teachers and placed education as a priority. Also the government in the UK takes care of minorities and unlike Cambodia, people are allowed to speak freely.

11) How do you feel about the more wealthy students who go abroad to receive their education and about the privatization of education institutions in Cambodia? The private schools are an example that the Government officers are not confident in their own system. This is a demonstration of the poor quality of the system.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor

Government officers dont have enough salary to send children to expensive private schools but they use money from bribes and cheating to put their kids there.

12) It seems that English is one of the most important subjects of students in Cambodia to learn given its importance in the global economic and commercial markets and its prevalence in Universities as opposed to Khmer. Moreover, the vast majority of the countrys elite who go overseas to be educated return with the ability to speak English and therefore maintain their position of power However, it doesnt seem to be given priority in Primary and Secondary education (just 1 or 2 hours a week). Therefore how are students expected to progress into the modern working world or higher education when daily transactions with foreign offices will be in English and 90% of all University courses are conducted in English? The education system gives 2 languages priority: French and English. But most students take English. English lessons are only 2 hours per week, which is too little. It is a big issue for Cambodia. The rich and powerful go abroad and can protect their power with English. There is a family chain. The Ministry of Education should promote languages and promote equity for all.

13) Why are the University courses in English if Cambodian children do not learn it for very long? - It is one of the big problems. It is very hard because they have little instructions. Especially for children from the rural areas who may have never learnt English. They must learn it at university.

14) Child labor appears to be one of the major obstacles to EDUCATION FOR ALL in that children who are of schooling-age are instead working long hours in hazardous conditions. Do you have any comment on this, and how do you think CITA can help to reduce child labor? -The CITA is active in child labor reduction. Over the next few weeks they will send a letter to the Ministry of Interior to investigate people who traffic children. The CITA will push the Ministry of Education to publish documents that prove to parents the value of education. Then the CITA will also publish posters and leaflets to educate the parents about how to get a better future for their children and themselves. There will also be a slogan about escaping poverty with education, and more advertisement about this.

The Cambodian Education System and its relationship with Child Labor