15 Interesting Cambodia Education Facts [100% true]

The Best Facts About School in Cambodia

The Kingdom of Cambodia is a country located in Southeast Asia. It is surrounded by Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Gulf of Thailand, and its capital city is Phnom Penh, which has over 2.2 million inhabitants.

An interesting part of the country that I wanted to tackle is its education. In light of that, I have listed my 15 best facts about school in Cambodia, and I hope you will love them:

1. There are still many Cambodians who cannot read

Unfortunately, even to this day, many Cambodians cannot read: only 78 percent of the population is literate.

While this number could be worse, it is still not high enough for a country to steadily develop, and a UNICEF official even said “they can’t build an economy on that, not even agrarian”.

2. Up until the 1960s, the Cambodian school system was good

The literacy rate in Cambodia and the education system were not always that bad. In fact, in the 60s, the rate was high and the system was good. It was during the Khmer Rouge years that all of this crumbled.

3. The Khmer Rouge years were terrible for Cambodian education

From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge, a radical communist movement, ruled Cambodia. They took control of the country through a guerilla war. Unfortunately, just like many fierce rulers, the Khmer Rouge hurt education a lot, and all had to be built up again afterwards.

4. After the Khmer Rouge years, Cambodia’s education system rose up very slowly

It took a while for Cambodia to recover from the Khmer Rouge years. During the 1980s, the number of students attending classes rose dramatically, but as you can see this growth is not fast enough. Both the system and the literacy rate need to be better than they currently are.

5. Classrooms in Cambodia are very often overcrowded

While some people can complain about being in a class of 20 or 30 pupils, in Cambodia it is not unusual to see 80 kids squeezed into a single classroom the size of a living room. It is very hard to work properly in these conditions.

6. Only half of the school-age children attend school in Cambodia

Not only are the classrooms overcrowded, but only half of the school-age children attend school in Cambodia!

This simply means that the country is absolutely not ready to welcome all of its children in a decently sized classroom. No wonder not that many kids go to school.

7. Cambodian schools try to use different shifts to solve the overcrowding issue

This system is used in many countries with a similar problem: when you face overcrowding, you have to teach in separate shifts.

That is not always the case in Cambodia, but schools that do this usually have a morning and an afternoon shift, and pupils have to attend either of these.

8. Education is very poorly funded in Cambodia

If you have seen what schools look like in Cambodia, you must wonder how poor the country is. However, it is rather that they spend most of their budget on the military and security, and very little is left for education.

9. Every village and town used to have a “wat” in Cambodia

In every village and town in Cambodia, there used to be a “wat”: a temple monastery and dormitory for monks. It usually also had a school or supported a school, and these were supported by the government, so children often went to school there.

10. “Wat” education was very limited unfortunately

The education that pupils could get from “wats” was very limited. Not only was it only for young boys, but the education was basically only memorizing Buddhist chants. Religion is very important in Cambodia, but it limits its education.

That is it for the best 10 interesting facts about Cambodia schooling…. Wait, did I say 10? Oh yes, because there are 5 more of them, coming right up:

More Facts About Education in Cambodia

There are so many things to say about Cambodia’s education system that I just could not stop after only 10 facts.

Here, have 5 more facts about education in Cambodia:

11. The French protectorate inaugurated a new educational system in the 19th century

The French protectorate over Cambodia was a period of Cambodia when it was included in French Indochina, during the 19th century. With that, a new educational system was inaugurated alongside the traditional one, following the French model.

12. Up until independence, very few students attended school

While the new French educational system might have been a good idea to educate the country, the French themselves neglected it. Only seven high school students graduated in 1931, and only 50,000 to 60,000 kids went to primary school in 1936!

13. Under the Khmer Rouge regime, there were simply no schools in Cambodia

Not only did the Khmer Rouge regime kill many people, but they also shut down schools and any kind of education. Buildings dedicated to education were destroyed and intellectuals were even executed. To educate youngsters, the Khmer Rouge built their own “schools”.

14. There are so many cheaters in Cambodia that police has to be deployed

This is one of the most incredible facts I have ever written: cheating is such a huge problem in Cambodia that during important annual examinations, police might be deployed around school! Teachers sell answers to tests to their students, because they are too poorly paid.

15. A lot of progress is being made in Cambodia’s educational system

Sure, school is not perfect in Cambodia, but progress is definitely tangible. With help from other countries and organizations like UNICEF, the country is slowly but steadily recovering from the Khmer Rouge years, and will hopefully offer great education to its many children.

So there you have them, these were all my 15 facts about the Cambodia education system. I hope you enjoyed them and that you learned something new today.

In case you want to learn more about the rest of the country’s education system, feel free to keep reading, as I still have lots of things to tell you about:

Cambodian School Hours

Let’s keep going with our next part, dedicated to Cambodian school hours. The typical school schedule in one country can often be very different from your own, and it’s always interesting to have more details on how students go on about their day.

Cambodia Primary School Schedule

The Cambodian school year begins in October. Not all schools are functional, but in the ones that are, children start their day at 7 AM and wear uniforms: white shirts and dark skirts or pants. Their education is in Khmer, and they learn how to read, write and do math. The most beautiful schools in the country are placed where foreigners can see them so the government can thank all the foreign aid it gets for its education.

As for primary education, it is divided into two cycles of three years. After each cycle, there is a final state examination and the main subjects are arithmetic, history, ethics, civics, science, and language.

Cambodia Secondary School Schedule

Secondary school in Cambodia is also divided into two cycles. The first one lasts for 4 years and is taught at a “collège” (which is French for middle school, not college), and the second one takes place in a “lycée” (high school) and lasts for 3 years.

At the end of the first cycle, there is another state examination, and successful candidates receive a secondary diploma, before going to high school if they want to.

Cambodian High School Schedule

Finally, high school is made up of 3 years, as I have already told you.

Upon completion of the first two years, students can pass and receive a first baccalaureate. The last year adds the last state examination: the second baccalaureate. All of this secondary cycle is similar to that in France.

General Facts About Schooling in Cambodia

This last part is dedicated to general facts about schooling in Cambodia. More specifically, we’ll check 2 key figures that will give you a better understanding of the education level in Cambodia.

Enrollment in tertiary education for Cambodia: 1.32%

(Average for regions: Sub-Saharan Africa: 8.6% | South Asia: 20.8% | Arab States: 36.4% | East Asia: 36.5% | Latin America: 43.3% | Europe and Central Asia: 62% | North America: 84%)

Data from World Bank EdStats/UNESCO

Cambodia literacy rate: 78%

(Average for regions: Sub-Saharan Africa: 65.3% | South Asia: 72.9% | Arab States: 79.4% | Latin America: 93.7% | East Asia: 95.8% | Europe and Central Asia: 98.5%)

Data from World Bank EdStats/UNESCO

More Education Facts!

Do you want even more education facts about other countries?

Check out these facts:

• Education in Thailand
• Education in Vietnam 
• Education around the world

Or click here to see ALL the education facts up on the blog!

The Full List of 15 Cambodian School Facts

1. There are still many Cambodians who cannot read
2. Up until the 1960s, the Cambodian school system was good
3. The Khmer Rouge years were terrible for Cambodian education
4. After the Khmer Rouge years, Cambodia’s education system rose up very slowly
5. Classrooms in Cambodia are very often overcrowded
6. Only half of the school-age children attend school in Cambodia
7. Cambodian schools try to use different shifts to solve the overcrowding issue
8. Education is very poorly funded in Cambodia
9. Every village and town used to have a “wat” in Cambodia
10. “Wat” education was very limited unfortunately
11. The French protectorate inaugurated a new educational system in the 19th century
12. Up until independence, very few students attended school
13. Under the Khmer Rouge regime, there were simply no schools in Cambodia
14. There are so many cheaters in Cambodia that police has to be deployed
15. A lot of progress is being made in Cambodia’s educational system

Share the knowledge! Click on the buttons below to share these Cambodian school facts with your friends, and help them learn more about the world 🙂