• 51% of rural Cambodians are illiterate.[i]

• Only 56% of children finish Grade 5 of primary education.[ii]

• Only 22% go on to attend secondary school.[iii]

• Rural primary school teachers receive an average wage of between US$30 and US$50 per month.[iv]

• Though school is technically free, informal school fees for a first grade student in rural areas average US$20 per year.[v] 

• The cost for 6^th grade students is nearly US$50 per year.[vi] 

• Over 35% of the population earn less than US$0.45 a day, or roughly US$165 per year, making even the informal costs of education unaffordable.[vii]

The Current State of Education in Cambodia

The Khmer Rouge policy of Year Zero had a devastating impact on the intellectual wealth of Cambodia.  A combination of ‘brain drain’ and the literal extermination of Cambodia’s educated people have left the country with a population lacking the basic tenets of education and few to instruct the emerging generation of young Cambodians.  This is a particularly pressing issue in the context of Cambodia, where the genocide and later population boom has resulted in over half of the population being under the age of 25. 

Many have blamed the low level of education in Cambodia to a shortage of schools.  While it is true that the Khmer Rouge destroyed much of the educational infrastructure this is only one side of a multi-faceted problem.  Perhaps even more devastating was the human cost of the genocide, as the vast majority of teachers were killed by the Khmer Rouge.  What’s more, those who grew up during the instability between 1975 and 1997 received very little education; as a result, only half of the country’s high school teachers have an elementary level diploma[viii].

Teachers receive inadequate teacher training and are provided with little oversight or regulation.  In addition, the wholly inadequate wages received by teachers pushes many to seek ways to supplement their income.  Although universal primary education in Cambodia is intended to be free, teachers will often charge informal fees, particularly at the secondary level.  These fees might be to take monthly (required) tests, to pay for books, paper, additional required study sessions or just to be kept on the roster.  Other teachers will have a second job, which means that all too often teachers come for only part of the school day, or not at all.  

Often children will be forced by economic necessity to abandon school.  The steadily increasing cost of education often pushes it beyond the reach of Cambodia’s poorest families.  Furthermore, children will often be required to work in the fields, take care of younger siblings, or find additional ways to support family income generation.  In the area where PEPY works, many children as young as 12-15 leave school after 4^th or 5^th grade to migrate illegally to Thailand for agricultural work. 

What is PEPY doing?

Education is the driving force behind the PEPY ethos.  PEPY programs aim to increase access to quality education in Cambodia, working both within and outside of the formal school system to achieve these goals.

Much of our focus is improving the quality of education in the villages where we work.  Our programs at The PEPY Ride School in Chanleas Dai include supplementary library classes to encourage Khmer literacy, English lessons, and Computer classes utilizing XO laptops. We work with teachers to supplement their salaries for high performance and attendance and assist them in finding alternate income generating projects that will still allow them to teach regularly scheduled classes.  PEPY’s Child to Child clubs aim to increase literacy and foster a love of learning and teaching outside the classroom.  These clubs are also designed to empower children to take action to solve the problems identified within their communities.  For many clubs, taking action to increase education, a problem they identified, meant creating child-driven study sessions and tutoring within the villages themselves. 

Our Bike-to-School Program is also aimed at increasing access to education by providing bikes for graduating sixth grade students.  This not only encourages attendance, it offers the ability to continue to secondary education.  Providing uniforms, school supplies, and books also encourages access by removing some of the informal costs which are often barriers to education.

To reinforce the value of higher education, PEPY works with several partners to bring scholarship opportunities to bright students in the area who have completed additional levels of schooling.  Our partnerships with Asian University for Women (AUW), Center for Information Systems Training (CIST), and local vocational schools connects talented students to opportunities both within and outside of Cambodia.

Plans for the 2008-2009 school year include increased scholarship opportunities for students, an expanded Bike-to-School Program and bike lending project, and a literacy camp focused on increasing reading levels among students.

What can you do?

Donate to PEPY and spread the word!  If you haven’t yet, come visit our projects and become an advocate for education in Cambodia.

Don’t have the time to visit?  Look no further than your backyard.  Education is vital to the development of the next generation in every country.  Within every community there are marginalized groups, children who need a helping hand, and ways to improve both formal and informal education where you live.  Consider teaching English to refugees in your city, volunteering as a Big Brother/Big Sister, working with at-risk children in your area, volunteering at a children’s museum, or writing to your local representatives to lobby for the educational changes you would like to see happen in your home town. 

Have an inspiring story to share about how you or someone you know is making education better in their own community? We’d love to know.  Email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and share your story.