Chhay Kim Hak interacts with her grade one students at Chambak Haer Primary School, Puok District in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Credit: GPE/Roun Ry

Partner since:

Total grant support: US$182,883,760

Grant eligibility:

  • Multiplier
  • System capacity
  • System transformation

Partnership Compact

Priority: Improve student learning outcomes by addressing agreed priorities, namely gender equality, quality learning and quality teaching.

Other key documents

Transforming education in Cambodia

Having achieved nearly universal primary education by 2012, Cambodia broadened its education goals to focus on quality in addition to access. Teacher reform, as set out in the Teacher Policy and Action Plan from 2013, has been a key priority of Cambodia's Ministry of education, with various strategies to improve teacher recruitment and performance and pilots over recent years.

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged progress, and evidence of learning loss has fortified the Cambodia’s commitment to deliver quality education to all: in 2021, 45% of grade 6 students were not proficient in Khmer language compared with 34% in 2016, and 74% were not proficient in mathematics compared with 49% in 2016.

The government is working with GPE and other partners to improve education in Cambodia by improving student learning outcomes. New early grade learning materials provide structured lesson plans for teachers, improved assessments will help teachers identify students’ learning needs, and teacher training will focus on teaching students at their competency levels.

The government is piloting new remediation measures to support students who fall behind.

Result story

Cambodia: Better teachers produce better students

  • Even with improved access to education, Cambodia still struggles with high dropout rates, low teaching quality and poor learning outcomes.
  • GPE, UNESCO, UNICEF and USAID have joined forces to help Cambodia transform its education system.
  • With a strengthened teaching force and a focus on the most vulnerable students, more children are getting a quality education.

Key data

33%

out-of-school rate for children of lower-secondary school age

50%

of children start learning one year before entering primary school

100%

of primary teachers have the minimum required qualifications

11%

of government expenditure on education

Grants

(data as of October 07, 2024)

 
  • Type: System transformation and Multiplier

    Years: 2024 - 2028

    Allocation: US$25,390,000

    Utilization: US$647,479

    Grant agent: UNESCO, UNICEF

  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2024 - 2028

    Allocation: US$20,000,000

    Utilization: 0

    Grant agent: WB

  • Type: System capacity

    Years: 2023 - 2026

    Allocation: US$2,700,000

    Utilization: US$391,701

    Grant agent: UNICEF

  • Type: Multiplier

    Years: 2022 - 2028

    Allocation: US$10,000,000

    Utilization: US$3,284,909

    Grant agent: WB

Civil society engagement

As part of its investment in civil society advocacy and social accountability efforts, GPE’s Education Out Loud fund is supporting the NGO Education Partnership (NEP) for the 2020-2023 period. This builds on previous support from the Civil Society Education Fund (CSEF).

Learn more

Latest blogs and news

May 20, 2024
Transforming education in Cambodia
Cambodia is committed to improving children’s learning and delivering quality education to all, by working with GPE and other partners. H.E. Lim Sothea, Director general of policy and planning at Cambodia’s...