TEACHER TRAINING INSTITUTIONS AND ANNEXE 13 STRUCTURE OF TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Final TT Examination:

- prepared by PTTC

- examiner from TTD attends

- correction of papers in TTD

Each student has: o an annual score o practical teaching assessment o final examination

Final TT Examination: o prepared by PTTC o examiner from TTD attends o correction of papers in TTD

Entry examination for new students: o TTC Directors attend at another TTC than their own o POE attends entry exam

The in-service teacher training programs are driven by project initiatives such as the implementation of curriculum standards and the new curriculum for Basic Education Grade 1-9. In-service teacher training does not have national coverage which is appropriate in some instances such as teacher training for teachers of ethnic minority groups, but indicates a gap in provision when coverage should be national such as introduction of the new curriculum. In-service training includes upgrade training of PS teachers to LSS teachers and training and contract teaching. Trainers are staff from PES, GSED, PRD and TTD

Examples of short in-service courses provided by development partners and NGOs: o 2 seminars held on gender mainstreaming for gender – integration of gender into CFS initiative o ICT course – 2 x 6 days o 3 day training at RTTC for 3 staff from PTTC to disseminate the new school curriculum. The process of implementation was described - when the staffs return from the 3 day training the PTTC will have to follow the new curriculum. o Teacher Group Leader training o Bird Flu and HIV/AIDS o Road Safety

Teaching qualifications – variable between institutions. Minimum Grade 12+2. Majority of lecturers have Batchelor Degree

A summary of all TTC staff qualifications is needed

Basic TTC staff upgrades training:

1) knowledge of PTTC management

2) use of new curriculum and textbooks for schools

3) use of TT guide for primary TT / LSS TT / USS TT

4) skills for teaching adults

5) specialist subject knowledge

Contribution of the sector or sub sector to reduce poverty in Cambodia: Cambodia, with an estimated population of 14 million and per capita income of US$ 385, is one of the poorest countries in the world (UNDP, 2006). Despite good progress in many areas, poverty is an overwhelming phenomenon particularly in rural areas. 36% population in the country live under the total poverty line (MoP, 2006). Poverty matters affect educational attainment, particularly the basic education of the country’s disadvantaged population in rural, remote and ethnic minority areas. Studies (MoEYS, 2006; Velasco, 2002) reveal a linkage between poverty and the higher drop out rates among girl students at secondary level of education in the disadvantaged areas of Cambodia. Compared to boys, girls’ enrolment rate at secondary education is much lower. Girls are more disadvantaged by educational opportunity cost compared to boys (UNIFEM, et, al, 2004).

Enhancement of education quality has direct impact on poverty reduction. Quality education can improve skills, efficiency and productivity of human resources. It can widen life chances pursuant with diversified livelihood options. The major development policy, plan and program of the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) target education as one of the important vehicles for poverty reduction in the country. For example, the fourth part of the Rectangular Strategy particularly targets enhancing human resources with high technical and scientific skills that effectively respond to the labor market.

Low enrolment of boys and girls in disadvantaged areas in secondary education is a major challenge for the RGC as it works to achieve basic education for all by 2010. Poverty is one of the underlying causes of their low enrolment. Addressing the poverty issue in relation to children’s enrolment in secondary education can potentially reduce the poverty incidence among families in disadvantaged areas in the future.

The overall financing of the education system is still heavily reliant on households’ private contributions to both direct and indirect education costs. Although various surveys vary widely in their estimation of these costs, even conservative socio-economic surveys report that on average, unofficial monthly school fees are KR3,500 (US$ 0.9), KR8,000(US$ 2) and KR10,200 (US$ 2.5) per student at primary level, lower secondary and upper secondary level respectively. These do not include costs for other incidentals such as uniforms, stationery, etc.

The Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey 2004 indicates that educational expenses per student for one school year include school fees, tuition, textbooks, other school supplies, gifts to teachers and contribution to building funds. Households estimate educational expenses at KR 50,000 (US$ 12.5) for pre-school and primary school students, KR 393,000 (approximately US$ 100) for secondary schools, KR 1.1 million (US$ 275) for technical/vocational schools and KR 2.1 million (US$ 525) for universities.

Recent surveys also highlight that households (especially more affluent households in urban centers) are willing to pay substantially for high quality education. The Cambodia 2004 SocioEconomic Survey also indicated that parents are willing to pay 10 times as much for quality private schooling, particularly at the secondary level. It appears that parents judge that the greater guarantee of access to competitive post-secondary education (especially the elite university faculties) represents a worthwhile investment.

However, this largely unregulated private financing of education has resulted in a potential education/poverty trap. For example, the representation of the poor is much greater in the primary student population than in the secondary or tertiary student population. This is particularly true of Cambodia, where 20per cent of primary students but only 2 per cent of upper secondary students are drawn from the poorest 20 per cent of the population. In contrast, 61 per cent of the upper secondary students in the country come from the richest 20 per cent of the population. The representation of the poor in tertiary education is zero, while the richest 20 per cent of the population accounts for 57 per cent of tertiary education.

Another contributing factor in this education/poverty trap is the demand for school age children, often girls, to contribute to household chores and household income generation. For example, in a recent survey, it was estimated that of the 1.6 million school age children not attending full time, around 25 per cent stated household income/work responsibilities as the primary factor. In contrast, only 8 per cent of the sample cited lack of suitable, accessible education provision as the primary barrier.

Factors that hinder the attainment of basic education of boys and girls in disadvantaged areas are poverty, distant location of school, lack of dormitories for girl students in school, lack of teachers particularly from ethnic minority groups, and gender bias in school system. Girls compared to boys are more hindered with these factors.

With the given importance of basic education to reduce poverty, the lower secondary education program (MoEYS, 2005) and the Cambodia Enhancing Education Quality Project target is to increase net enrolment rate of children of disadvantaged families/areas in secondary education. The lower secondary education program target is to increase net enrolment rate in grades 7-9 to 39% in 2008 from 26.1% in 2004/5. The Cambodia Enhancing Education Quality Project targets to increase net admission rate of girls and children of disadvantaged areas in secondary education to 80% by 2020 from 73% in 2006/07.

These programs and projects provide scholarship to boys and girls of disadvantaged families/areas at secondary education to reduce the cost burden on their families. A number of strategies will be undertaken in this project to tackle the impacts of poverty and other associated factors on educational attainment of children in disadvantaged areas. Strategies include: creation of enabling environment such as establishment of dormitories for girl students, stipend for girl students at upper secondary education and female teacher trainees, improvement of facilities in school and teacher training institutions so female students and teacher trainees feel school secure and comfortable; sensitize instructional materials and gender awareness training for writers of instructional materials to encourage equitable access of boys and girls from disadvantaged areas in education; and monitoring and evaluation on the implementation of the gender mainstreaming policy connected to an EMIS review.

A number of strategies have been planned and designed to maximize the project impact on women and girls. Strategies include: creating enabling environment for girls’ education, information dissemination, and stipends for girl students. Gender-responsive outputs and indicators have also been set in the Design and Monitoring Framework. In compliance with the strategies a number of activities have been proposed to make sure that women and men are equally benefited from the project assistance. Activities which have particularly been designed and planned for equal benefits of women and men include (i) develop criteria for instructional materials for teacher training courses that encourage equitable access, (ii) upgrade teacher training institution facilities to ensure that they are safe and suitable for female staff and students, (iii) provide scholarships for 500 female teacher trainees at NIE and RTTC, (vi) develop criteria for instructional materials for secondary schools that encourage equitable access, (vi) upgrade all secondary school facilities in remote areas to ensure they are safe and suitable for female staff and students, ( (vii) improve data collection, monitoring and evaluation of provisions for female students,(xii) provide scholarship for 4,000 disadvantaged students to study at USS.

Has an output been prepared? Yes No

The following gender-responsive/gender related outputs have been set in the Design and Monitoring Framework. (i) increased enrolment in teacher training programs of female and students from disadvantaged areas, and (ii) increased enrolment in secondary schools of girls and children from disadvantaged areas.

1. Ministry of Planning (2006) A Poverty Profile of Cambodia 2004, Ministry of Planning, Phnom Penh

2. MoEYS (2006) Gender Policy in Education 2006, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), Phnom Penh.

3. Royal Government of Cambodia (2006) National Strategic Development Plan 20062010, Royal Government of Cambodia, Phnom Penh.

4. UNDP (2006) Human Development Report 2006, UNDP, New York.

5. UNIFEM, WB, ADB, UNDP and DFID/UK (2004) A Fair Share for Women: Cambodia Gender Assessment, UNIFEM, WB, ADB, UNDP, DFID/UK, Phnom Penh

6. Velasco, E. (2002) Institutionalizing Gender Equity in Education in Cambodia: Commitment, Policy and Action, Report prepared for UNICEF/SIDA, Phnom Penh.

7. MoEYS (2006) Gender Mainstreaming Strategy in Education 2006-2010, Ministry of Education , Youth and Sports (MoEYS), Phnom Penh

8. MoEYS (2005) Education Sector Support Program 2006-2010, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS), Phnom Penh

9. Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey, National Institute of Statistics 2004

Three key elements of institutional development are: human capacity development, institutional strengthening and development of information flows and networks.

Human Capacity Development: To develop system capacity, first of all it is essential to develop the skills and knowledge of those working in the education system.

Institutional strengthening: It is equally important to develop the systems, within individual institutions. This includes organisation and structure, management systems, effective working practices, quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, IT systems, and personnel systems (including pay and conditions). Without effective systems it is very difficult for those undergoing training and development to implement what they have learnt.

Information flows and networks: Planning, and effective implementation of plans, can only be effectively achieved if there is a wide sharing of information, an important aspect of successful institutional development. This will be addressed by encouraging participatory planning and discussion, and through regular contact of staff while on the job. Institutional leadership can be a critical factor in the attempt to improve performance. Technical assistance will include the development of competencies related to strategic planning, consensus building, and communication of objectives and implementation of plans.It is also necessary to create institutionalised mechanisms for information flow.

A number of processes are well recognised as ways of approaching organisational and institutional capacity building. It is important that appropriate processes are selected to achieve specific outcomes. It is also important to ensure the building of capacity in individuals is clearly aligned to organisational outcomes and priorities. Attendance on courses and participation in overseas programmes should be on an organisational needs basis and on-the-job instruction should be directly relevant to a person’s role. It is important to remember that capacity building takes time, is often a two way process and has to be relevant for the individual counterpart, counterpart groups and counterpart institutions.

All projects identify individuals, or specified positions, to be counterparts to international specialists. On many projects the international specialist and a national specialist are teamed with one or more counterparts to develop relevant skills, knowledge and attitudes, as well as personal systems and processes to enhance work performance. At the same time the national specialist and the counterpart have a responsibility to teach the adviser about local conditions and environment and assist with project implementation by provision of advice and support.

On-the-job (day-to-day) instruction is considered by many to be the best way for people to learn how to do the job and to develop their skills related to their technical responsibilities. The process is considered cost-effective as well as the best way to support learning, as it is timely, directly relevant to the job, and ensures work continues while the person is learning.

To overcome the mindset that on-the-job learning is of low value and to set targets learning agreements can be used. These agreements based on joint work plans of the specialists and the counterparts; identify the learning to occur and the means by which the learning would be achieved.

While on-the-job training is very useful, off-the-job training allows people to learn in an environment where they are not continually disturbed and gives the opportunity to earn certificates. Well-planned in-house training courses are generally supported by the participants’ current knowledge and experience and follow adult learning principles. The courses provide opportunities for application and interaction. Successful in-house courses must be timed to coincide with implementation needs. Seminars have a role in capacity building when information needs to be shared with a broad range of people. External short courses need to be carefully targeted and the external suppliers selected carefully. They need to be targeted at organisational needs and learning and reinforced with follow-up from advisers or managers to ensure lessons learned are being implemented.

Manuals are designed for several purposes: as a record of newly designed policies and processes, as a source of information for new staff; and as a source of information for the development of individual capacity. One has to be careful that consultants do not produce them because they are named as milestone requirements. Participation of counterparts and other colleagues is essential in their development. A manual is of the most value when it is developed specifically, with counterparts, for the local environment early in the project.

Working groups and task forces can be used to build individual capacity in problem solving and participative decision-making. In these cases individuals also develop a better understanding of policies and processes. Regular formalmeetings in the work place offer a forum for capacity building throughout the life of a project. Informal meetings such as those during tea breaks and during field missions give an opportunity for learning through open discussion.

Coaching is a term usually applied to the development of non-technical skills such as staff supervision and management, through one-to-one advice. Mentoring assists managers and staff to develop their own personal strengths and to pursue their own goals.

The importance of overseas scholarships in developing professional skills, conceptual ability and self-learning skills can be considered critical to the long term sustainability of new ideas and processes introduced by projects. Participation in the programmes and the timing of them needs to be carefully controlled if the country is to benefit from them. Study tours should be used with care, balancing motivation with capacity building. They are useful to expose teacher managers and teacher educators to new ideas in relatively short periods of time. Selection of the right candidates is critical and should be aligned to the information and exposure needs of the organisation. Participants must have the personal capacity to learn from the experience and the willingness to share the learning with their follow officers on their return. Carefully selected conferences can be appropriate if clearly connected with institutional and individual performance goals.

An overall appraisal of the ICT requirements of the Kingdom of Cambodia identifies key areas for potential development including: EMIS developments, ICT provisions for schools, training for teachers and others in using these facilities, and use of other ICT facilities to explore further training

Various opportunities for using other media available for training and development purposes (such as television and radio) also exist should the available finance for this project allow.

It is essential to ensure that, in any ICT development strategy, the various elements are cohesively planned. In other words, training matches provision and visa versa, equipment provision is planned with infrastructure developments, training in new pedagogies relates to ICT provision etc. NIDA is a central organisation in such matters – particularly (but not exclusively) the development of a national infrastructure.

It is also essential for all funding agencies present or future, (including the Government of Cambodia) to work closely together to ensure that duplication either of information gathering or of provision does not occur.

Another issue in the long-term, is sustainability. It is understood that at this moment in time, the Government of Cambodia could not effectively instigate substantial ICT development initiatives without external support. However, planning for the future should take account of the time limited nature of external sources of funding and plan with this in mind. At some point funding will become predominantly the responsibility of the Cambodian government and account should be taken of this in planning and resourcing.

Overriding these are the current infrastructure issues facing Cambodia. These can generally be listed as a lack of:

Universal power provision to a majority of institutions

Universal connectivity to a communications network

Sufficient funding to provide the necessary equipment

Sufficient funding and expertise to provide appropriate training for teachers and others

Recurrent funds to develop and maintain even simple systems

However, it is clear that there is a national and international willingness to make progress and to improve Cambodia’s international competitiveness by reducing the technology gap with more developed countries through increased student exposure to ICT alongside curriculum development and teacher training. This project is one of the ways of starting a process to achieve that. The possible interventions cannot take account of the overall longterm needs of the education (school and administrative) groups as these are beyond the scope and capability of this project to achieve.

(KR Million)(US$ '000)