COVID-19 response
Allocation: US$7 million
Years: 2020-2021
Grant agent: UNICEF
Key documents:
The grant will support the following interventions:
- Continuous or distance learning programs – including for pre-primary, primary education, and lower-secondary education students through online/internet, television and radio outlets.
- Back to school campaign along with a communication for education initiative to connect with communities and promote the importance of preparing their children for a safe return to school.
- Schools block grants to procure basic equipment to support continuous learning, basic hygiene supplies to schools, remedial and accelerated learning for disadvantaged students and paper-based learning materials for the most vulnerable students.
- Training teachers to improve their pedagogical skills in relation to continuous learning for themselves and for their students.
- Specialized continuous learning materials for children with disabilities. This will be reinforced with teacher professional development and specialized equipment, where necessary.
- GPE’s support through the COVID grant will complement the already strong country level partnership.
In late March 2020, the UNICEF office in Cambodia received a GPE grant of US$70,000 to support the Ministry of Education. 15 titles of radio episodes for preschoolers are in production. A further 35 radio programs for multilingual education have been developed, covering storytelling, math and language development.
The GPE funds also enabled sign language translation of 26 Grade 9 and Grade 12 video lessons.
Education in Cambodia
The education plan for 2019–2023 is designed for implementing education, youth and sport reforms while establishing a robust base for education in 2030 and beyond.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) is committed to achieving SDG 4 and continues to minimize skills gaps by collaborating with stakeholders and by introducing digital education.
To achieve these priorities, the MoEYS has embraced two overarching policies:
- Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
- Ensure effective leadership and management of education officials at all levels.
The main monitoring mechanism of the implementation of the education plan is through the Annual Education Congress. A National Education Congress is also conducted annually to review the sector progress based on sub-sector reports, provincial reports, EMIS and quality education management information system data, research and studies, learning assessment outcomes along with other reports.
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Srei in class at the Agthlork Reang Sey School. March 2015.
The results of Cambodia’s program (GPE 3) will be achieved through two distinct components: a fixed component of US$14.4 million, which supports the strengthening teacher education program in Cambodia (STEPCam), and a variable component of US$6.2 million that is linked to the achievement of specific results to improve education equity, efficiency and learning outcomes.
STEPCam supports the implementation of the teacher policy action plan 2015-2020, and focuses on continuous professional development of early grade teachers and their trainers. Most of the program targets 30 districts in 5 northern provinces where a high-level of grade 1 repetition and primary dropout rates is observed.
The STEPCam components are:
- Component 1: Improve teachers' professional practices by supporting the development and operationalization of a capacity development partnership framework and management system.
- Component 2: Support the implementation of the in-service education and training to improve the teaching capacities of primary schools’ teachers in early grade learning.
- Component 3: Reinforce the qualifications of teacher trainers at the provincial teacher training colleges (PTTCs).
- Component 4: Support the renovation of the PTTCs to enable them to provide high-quality in-service education and training
- Component 5: Cover MOEYS institutional costs to facilitate successful implementation of the program
- Component 6: Cover the identified costs for the UNESCO Cambodia office to act as the grant agent.
The variable component will be delivered through the capacity development partnership fund, a multi-partner fund which helps strengthen capacities in policy development, planning, and financing.
This component will also support the strengthening of the ministry’s financial and HR systems, by supporting the financial management information system, budget formulation, as well as the human resource management information system.
The equity dimension of the variable part aims to strengthen the existing scholarship program to reduce the primary dropout rate. Through the development of a new primary scholarship framework, it will ensure that the most vulnerable children are targeted.
The efficiency dimension aims to strengthen the school as the primary service delivery unit by increasing the capacity of school principals to implement school-based management effectively.
The learning outcomes dimension aims to improve learning in early grades by strengthening teaching capacities and practices.
While the equity dimension will be national, the efficiency and learning dimensions will target districts with low repetition and dropout rates.
Grants
All amounts are in US dollars.
| Grant type | Years | Allocations | Disbursements | Grant agent | |
| Program implementation | 2018-2021 | 20,600,000 | 2,085,816 | UNESCO, UNICEF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-2017 | 38,500,000 | 38,500,000 | World Bank | Completion report | |
| 2008-2012 | 57,360,856 | 57,360,856 | World Bank | Completion report | |
| Sector plan development | 2016 | 61,945 | 61,945 | UNICEF | |
| 2013-2014 | 178,215 | 178,215 | UNESCO | ||
| Program development | 2016-2018 | 149,590 | 154,325 | UNESCO | |
| 2013-2014 | 156,216 | 156,216 | World Bank | ||
| Total | 117,006,822 | 98,497,373 |
GPE has also provided the NGO Education Partnership (NEP) with a grant from the Civil Society Education Fund, to support its engagement in education sector policy dialogue and citizens’ voice in education quality, equity, and financing and sector reform.
Education sector progress
The graphs below show overall progress in the education sector in Cambodia, and GPE data shows the country progress on 16 indicators monitored in the GPE Results Framework.
Source: World Bank - Education Data
Data on education are compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics from official responses to surveys and from reports provided by education authorities in each country.