Cambodia     Population (approx.) 10 million   Literacy Statistics Overall: 35.0% Male: 48.0% Female: 22.0%   GNP Per Capita (US Dollars) $710     Source: The World Bank Development Indicators, 1996; CIA World Fact Book 1997

Country Report presented by Chhoeun Mao

Cambodia has had a culture of learning based in Buddhist temples and pagodas since the 12th century. Although predominantly used by monks (men who came from every social class), these pagodas were also open as educational sites for the general population. In the 1960s Cambodia had a very high rate of literacy--above 90%. However, during the Pol Pot regime from 1975-79, in which three million people were killed, schools, universities, and pagodas were closed and destroyed, denying all people access to education. A 1980 survey recorded 1 million illiterates among the 6 million survivors of the regime.

During the 1980s, the government supported a massive national campaign for literacy. Ministries, public organizations, and individual volunteers were involved. Individuals were supposed to gain a literacy certificate before they could be employed or married. Literacy classes were provided by factories, communes, and military bases. Training was provided in full and half-day schools for younger students, and in evening classes for adults. While the classes were provided at flexible times and locations, the curriculum was rigid and overly academic. This may have contributed to the low levels of course completion.

In recent years, there has been some difficulty in coordinating the many NGO and government-run literacy programs in Cambodia. Each program usually has different funding, leadership, and goals. According to the Socio-Economic Survey of Cambodia in 1993/4, the level of literacy at that time was only 65.3%. A five-year plan for non-normal and literacy education was instituted in 1996, with technical assistance from the National Commission for UNESCO in Cambodia. The plan aims to restructure and strengthen the non-formal education system and increase the literacy rate by 20%.

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INTERNATIONAL LITERACY INSTITUTE
Graduate School of Education/University of Pennsylvania
3910 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104-3111 USA
Telephone 215-898-2100 | Fax 215-898-9804 | E-mail: sltp@literacy.upenn.edu

Revised: July 6, 1998