Education system out of its depth

Phnom Penh Post 28 February 2014

More young people than ever are flocking to Cambodia’s universities after leaving school. But students seeking better education elsewhere are reminders of the gulf that exists between the kingdom’s institutions and those abroad, writes Maria Wirth for Phnom Penh Post.

By Prime Minister Hun Sen’s own admission, this gap relates to the quality and relevance of degrees taught here, and is resulting in the system not producing the type of graduates required to meet the kingdom’s needs. “We have some 200,000 students, but private investors could not find the skilled ones they need,” Hun Sen said during a speech earlier this month to graduates. “This tells us to pay more attention to the quality of education.”

The premier’s observations are nothing new. According to a 2011 UN Development Programme report on future economic growth in Cambodia, university graduates are often “found to be lacking in the essential skills and practical experience required for employment in the field for which they were supposed to be qualified”.
Full report on the Phnom Penh Post site

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