IBE/2006/EFA/GMR/CP/14

Country profile prepared for the Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2007

Strong Foundations: Early Childhood Care and Education

Cambodia Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programmes Compiled by:

UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) Geneva, (Switzerland)

2006

This profile was commissioned by the Education for All Global Monitoring Report as background information to assist in drafting the 2007 Report. It has not been edited by the team. Information included in the series of profiles has been compiled by the IBE. In several cases data have been revised and/or expanded thanks to the helpful support of Ministries of Education and UNICEF offices worldwide. The views and opinions expressed in the present document are not necessarily those of the EFA Global Monitoring Report or UNESCO. The profile can be cited as follows: “Country Profile commissioned for the EFA Global Monitoring Report 2007, Strong foundations: early childhood care and education”. For further information, please contact: [email protected]

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CAMBODIA Early Childhood Education and Care (ECCE) programs

A. GENERAL INFORMATION, STATISTICS AND INDICATORS Starting age of compulsory education (if applicable): Compulsory education starts at 6 years of age. However, the Education Law, which stipulates that, is still in draft stage.

1. ISCED 0 PROGRAMS (USUALLY, PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION) (ISCED = International Standard Classification of Education) 1.1. National definition of ISCED 0 programs: Pre-school education refers to the formal system of education for children of 3 to 5 years of age under the Department of Early Childhood Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.

1.2. Normative age group(s) covered by ISCED 0 programs: 3 to 5 years of age. Officially, pre-school education is organized as a three-step system (L1 for 3-year-olds, L2 for 4-year-olds and L3 for 5-year-olds). In practice, most pupils receive only one or two years of provision.

1.3. ISCED 0 programs: statistics and indicators 1.3.1. Enrolment:

Gross enrolment ratio Net enrolment ratio Percentage of children entering primary education with previous preschool experience (*)

Percentage 10.6 NA

Year 2004/2005

13.2

2004/2005

(*) Determined as follows: (A x B)/C, where: A = Number f children attending pre-school in 2003/2004 B = Percentage of children at the highest step of pre-school enrolment C = Number of children who are newly enrolled in primary schools in 2004/2005 Data were obtained from from the Department of Early Childhood Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports for 2003/2004 and the Education Management Information System 2004/2005.

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1.3.2. Enrolment ratio by age group, 2004/05 (percentage, also including the first years of primary education when applicable): Less than 3 years of age 0.0

Age 3

Age 4

Age 5

Age 6

Age 7

1.2

5.0

12.9

76.5*

96.9(*)

*Primary education enrolment ratio.

1.3.3. Teachers: Formal Pre-school Teachers 3,027

Total number of teachers 2004/2005 Community Pre-School Private Pre-school Teachers Teachers 920 448

Total Pre-school Teachers 4,395

* Data from the Department of Early Childhood Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2004/2005

Total number of teachers* 4,395

Of whom female (%) ^ 99%

Percentage of Percentage of trained teachers trained (males) teachers (all)^ 99% 0.98…

Percentage of trained teachers (females) 99.02

* Data from the Department of Early Childhood Education, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, 2004/2005, and Education Management Information System 2004/2005.

1.3.4. Funding: Not available Percentage Public current expenditure per pupil as percentage of the Gross National Product per capita

…

1.3.5. Main source(s) of financing: In 1997, the Government financing for ECD in Cambodia was around US$750,000. There was also NGO support of US$300,000 in the same year. It is estimated that NGO financing has declined to some US$125,000 in 1999; the total support from the NGO sector has been US$27,192,947 (2004-05). Much of NGO support has focused on quality assurance such as the training of roughly 2,000 pre-school teachers and curriculum and materials development. UNICEF is providing support for the 609 community-based pre-schools for children of 3 to 5 years of age in 2005. This includes support for infrastructure, training costs, and development of teaching learning materials and honorariums to the teachers. Government funding to ECE was US$112,500 in 2004-05.

2. OTHER ECCE PROGRAMME

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(Generally preceding ISCED 0 programmes) 2.1. National definition of other ECCE programmes: Programme

Community-based pre-schools

Home-based parenting programmes

Definition

Community preschools are centre based, set up by Commune Councils (democratically elected local governments at the grassroots level) and meant for all children, particularly those in rural and periurban areas where opportunities for early childhood stimulation are few. Home-based parenting programmes aim to enhance the role of parents as prime educators and how they can be strengthened in this role through parental engagement in home early learning.

Age

Estimated number of children covered

3-5 years

19,172

0-6 years

1,938

2.2. Normative age group(s) covered by other ECCE programs: See above. 2.3. Estimate number of children covered by other ECCE programs: See above for the Government-run programmes. There are a number of NGOs that run programmes for children in the age group of three to five years, however there is no systematic data collection and therefore reliable data is unavailable.

B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION CONCERNING ECCE PROGRAMS (INCLUDING ISCED 0)

3.1. Legislation concerning ECCE: An ECCE policy was approved by the Royal Government of Cambodia in 2002. 3.2. Official body/bodies in charge of supervision or coordination: Agencies Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports

Responsibilities Technical training, monitoring and management of pre-schools Responsible for monitoring functioning and management of community preschools(CPS)

Ministry of Women’s affairs

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3.3. Other entities involved in the provision (e.g. municipalities, local governments) and main types of providers (e.g. public, private, mixed, community-based, etc.): Other entities involved in the provision of ECCE are the following: Entities Local governments (Commune Councils) NGOs

Activities Responsible for setting up of CPS and parenting programmes Pre schools and special schools for addressing disabilities.

3.4. Type of personnel involved: Programmes Pre-schools run by the Government

Community pre-schools

Parenting programme

Personnel These pre-schools have both the teaching and non-teaching staff. The non-teaching staff is responsible for administrative support Community teacher , a local woman recruited and trained

Literacy Teacher

Staff training Two-year training programme at teacher training schools of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports In-service training for 16 days provided by Department of Early Childhood Education in the provinces In-service training for three days twice a year (new programme)

3.5. Type of staff training (requirements): See above.

3.6. Recent national policies and reforms: Cambodia developed a policy framework on pre-school education and guidelines on early childhood care and development in 2002. ECCE is focused primarily on children aged 3 to the age of school entry (technically age 6) but the policy covers children aged 3 to 8 years. These programmes are under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, which increasingly recognizes the importance of early stimulation for children aged zero to three years.

3.7. Efforts targeted at vulnerable or disadvantaged children:

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Most of the NGO- and UNICEF-supported community pre-schools are targeted towards the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. Some NGOs are working in the area of disabilities for young children like the blind children. Some of them focus primarily on street children and children who have been orphaned or are suffering from HIV/AIDS.

3.8. Special projects/programmes aiming at expanding or improving ECCE: See above. 3.9. Information concerning the curriculum (if applicable) or the contents of ECCE programs 3.9.1. Objectives and aims: The quality and effectiveness of pre-school provision is difficult to assess, in part because of a mix of objectives. These include school readiness, elements of preprimary teaching, structured play and social development, initial hygiene and nutrition awareness and broader child minding and childcare. The goals as stated in the curriculum are to develop life skills, emotional values, social, moral and esthetic values linked to the age of the child. 3.9.2. Learning areas and teaching-learning methods: Pre-numeracy, pre-literacy and integrated science is taught through play-way method. Activities include things that promote large muscle development, small muscle development, social skills, problem-solving, art, and drama, pre-reading and prewriting skills. 3.9.3. Average number of hours per week and average amount of weeks per year: Programmes Pre-schools run by the Government Community pre-schools Parenting programme

Average number of hours per week Five days per week (15 hours)

Average number of weeks per year 38 weeks

Five days per week (10 hours) One hour per week through literacy programmes

24-36 weeks

6

24 weeks

3.10. Any other relevant and pertinent information Not available

C. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION REGARDING ECCE (TO BE COMPILED IN COLLABORATION WITH UNICEF OFFICES WHERE POSSIBLE) 4.1. Parenting programmes are usually addressed to parents and families of children less than 6 years of age. Please provide information about any parenting programmes in your country according to the table below: Type of programme

Yes or No (note for each programme)

Please estimate the number of beneficiaries (if possible) 73 villages, with 191 groups covering a total number of 1,938 children.

Home-based Parenting Education

Yes. These are relatively new programmes

As component of health and nutrition programmes, such as information about child development included in health and nutrition visits

Yes as part of NA the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses training module

Parent groups that meet to discuss issues of Yes their young children, including health, nutritional status, and development

1,277 families (under UNICEFsupported NGO project)

As component of adolescent, livelihood or Yes literacy programmes

Literacy teachers have been trained to provide parental education

Media broadcast, such as Sesame Street, with Yes media for and with children

Inauguration on 8 Dec 2005. Programme called Sabai Sabai Sesame.

Other (please specify)

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Are any of these programmes targeted specifically toward the vulnerable, poor, disadvantaged or excluded? If so, which ones? (Please provide/attach any additional and relevant information if available). Almost all the NGO and community preschools are targeted towards the poor and vulnerable population.

4.2. Is there a national-level system for monitoring children’s development or school readiness prior to entering primary school? The School Readiness Programme was launched by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in the academic year 2004-2005 to address issues of high dropout and repetition rates and poor achievement levels of students in Grade 1. The school readiness programme involves the provision of equal opportunities to all learners through the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to progress successfully at school. The school readiness programme is directed to guide the learners through a learner-centred approach in the most efficient manner according to their own ability to cope with, and in the formal learning situation. Standards for school readiness are under development, the standards would be used to improve instruction and curriculum but would not be used for screening children before they enter school.

4.3. Is there a policy on early childhood (ECCE, ECD, etc.) that has been accepted? If not, is there one under development? The policy on Early Childhood Education was approved by the government in 2002. An ECD policy has also been developed and is awaiting approval.

[Information revised and additional data provided by UNICEF, January 2006.]

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