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4. Provincial Education Performance Reports
4.1 Overview of Provincial Report Preparation
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Over the past four years the Ministry has taken a number of steps to strengthen provincial capacity to plan and manage provincial education performance, including a) an extensive range of training programs for provincial, district and school level planners, b) training of provincial and district staff in education information management and analysis, c) training in financial planning, management and accounting, d) preparation of provincial education performance reports and e) other training courses.
The preparation of provincial education performance reports was initiated in 2003, as part of the ESSP review 2003 process. In 2003/04, the Ministry has continued to develop this provincial performance reporting system. Key processes have included a) submission of 2 reports to MoEYS on performance trends, b) improved collation and analytical reports on financial performance and c) awareness raising at the provincial level of likely changes in strategic priorities and targets as part of the ESP 2004-2008.
4.2 Main Trends in Provincial Performance
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Primary enrolment growth has slowed down in the majority of provinces. Growth rates are only greater than 10% in 4 provinces (Koh Kong, Mondulkiri, Ratankiri and Pailin), due mainly to low net enrolment rates. These provinces also show significantly higher incidence of incomplete schools leading to high dropout rates. The Ministry intends to address the specific constraints of sustaining high levels of primary enrolment in these disadvantaged provinces through gradual phasing out of incomplete schools and other measures, including multi-grade teaching.
For lower secondary education, the enrolment growth ranges from 49% (Otdar Meanchey) down to 5% (Phnom Penh). Only six provinces show growth rates of more than 25% in 2003/04, compared to 9 provinces in 2002/03. Enrolment growth is slowing down in a number of more urban provinces, including Kandal, Kampong Cham, Siem Reap and Prey Veng. A major constraint is the growing shortage of lower secondary school facilities in many of the rural communes in these provinces. Access and facilities planning in many provinces is becoming more complex due to fluctuating levels of urban drift. Consequently, a Ministry priority is to strengthen provincial capacity to assess enrolment trends and facilities needs analysis.
Provincial patterns for upper secondary enrolment are best characterised by extensive under-provision. The mean provincial enrolment is only 6,400 students, with 15 of 24 provinces having enrolment below this mean. 8 provinces have enrolments of less than 1,000 whilst only 5 have an enrolment of more than 10,000. The Ministry's strategic priorities are a) to ensure at least one upper secondary school in each district to enable access, b) provide at least one high quality upper secondary school in each province to stimulate demand and c) ensure any new facilities are served by experienced teaching staff.
There are significant provincial variations in the staffing and facilities utilisation rates. For example, the primary school PTR ranges from 38 (Phnom Penh) to 60 (Kampong Cham) and 80 (Siem Riep). The "newly integrated areas" remain comparatively underserved with PTR in Pailin and Otdar Meanchey being 63 and 74 respectively. There are similar variations in pupil/classroom ratios ranging from 47 in Mondulkiri to 88 in Phnom Penh. The latter is due to the need for high levels of double-shifting in overcrowded schools. The proportion of non-teaching staff also varies considerably ranging from 6% in Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri, while reaching between 18% and 20% in Takeo, Kampong Chhang and Kampong Cham. A priority for the Ministry will be to improve the equity of distribution of these resources, taking account of the difficulty in achieving economies of scale in less well-populated areas.
Only 3 provinces have a grade 6-7 transition rate of over 90%, whilst 7 provinces having transition rates of less than 80% (e.g. Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Siem Reap and Svay Rieng). Provinces with high transition rates include Phnom Penh and Mondulkiri. Similar patterns apply for grade 9-10 transition, with only 6 provinces having transition rates of more than 70%. In only one province (Koh Kong) is the female grade 6-7 transition rate higher than that for males. In contrast, for grade 9-10 transition, the female rate is higher than for males in 20 of 24 provinces. The total national transition rate is 60% compared to almost 63% for females. This highlights the critical importance of measures to retain girls in grades 8 and 9 (e.g. through scholarships) since the likelihood of further study increases.
Table 5: All Teachers by Educational Background, Selected Provinces, 2003/2004 compare to (2002/2003)
| Province |
Teachers |
% Primary |
% Secondary |
% Graduate |
| Mondulkiri |
214 (171) |
36% (42%) |
61% (56%) |
3% (2%) |
| Otdar Meanchey |
577 (423) |
44% (56%) |
55% (44%) |
1% (0%) |
| Ratanakiri |
347 (275) |
37% (40%) |
59% (56%) |
4% (4%) |
| Preah Vihear |
851 (777) |
40% (39%) |
57% (58%) |
3% (3%) |
| Steung Treng |
628 (569) |
26% (37%) |
70% (59%) |
4% (4%) |
| National Average |
76350 (73642) |
5% (5%) |
89% (89%) |
6% (6% |
The absence of reliable quality indicators makes it difficult to make provincial comparisons. The analysis is further complicated by the variation in the number of grade 9 and grade 12 examination candidates across provinces. Although some of the smaller provinces may perform better in public examinations it is likely to be due in part to severity of student selection rather than a broader indicator of service quality.
A key indicator of quality improvement is the location and distribution of better educated and more experienced teachers across the provinces. As shown in the table above, a number of provinces have a high proportion of less qualified staff, including some with only a primary education background. The Ministry recognizes that plans to improve resources in these underserved provinces must include ensuring deployment of sufficiently educated and qualified staff. Since 2002/03, there has been some increase in the share of better-qualified teachers. For example, in Steung Treng, the share of teachers with only a primary education background has been reduced from 37% to 26% over the last academic year. The Ministry is already adopting a policy of deploying the majority of newly trained and better-educated teachers to these provinces, which will be extended in coming years.
4.3 Provincial Performance Case Study: Border and Reconciliation Areas
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The Ministry is aware of the unique circumstances of delivering education in the border areas. Key characteristics of the 59 districts and 190 communes in these areas are a) a comparatively large number of incomplete schools, b) a significant proportion of smaller and remote schools, c) recently established new education administrations in many districts and d) social, cultural and economic patterns related to cross-border activity with neighboring countries. The Ministry recognizes the need to undertake special interventions to address these problems.
The average number of communes in border area districts is only 3, compared to national average of 9. As a result, schools are often remote from district education offices, many schools are small and it is difficult to deploy and retain teaching staff in these areas. Achieving efficient running of the schools and management support is therefore problematic. The potential vulnerability of Cambodians in the border areas is exacerbated by the comparatively high incidence of poverty.
As shown in the table below, there are 57 communes (30% of total) in the poorest quintile of commune poverty ranking, compared to a national average of around 20%. The high incidence of poverty makes it more difficult for families and children in border areas to assess education services. The low population density also reduces the economic justification for education service expansion. To a large extent, the argument for access expansion must be based on equity, vulnerability and socio-cultural grounds.
Table 6: Border Commune Poverty Quintile Ranking, 2002
| Poverty Ranking |
No. Communes |
% Total |
National |
| Un-ranked |
9 |
4.7% |
1.4% |
| 1 (poorest) |
57 |
30.0% |
19.7% |
| 2 |
27 |
14.2% |
19.7% |
| 3 |
30 |
15.8% |
19.7% |
| 4 |
27 |
14.2% |
19.7% |
| 5 (richest) |
40 |
21.1% |
19.6% |
| TOTAL: |
190 |
100% |
100% |
Education services in the border areas are characterized by a comparatively high enrolment in primary education compared to secondary education. For example, primary enrolment represents 89% of the total school enrolment compared to only 82% nationwide. Secondary school enrolments are significantly below the national average, resulting in large numbers of out-of-school youth.
The prevalence of significant numbers of young people, especially girls, not in school increases the vulnerability of border area youth to other influences, including potential vulnerability to cross-border trafficking, children labor and HIV/AIDS. Girls are particularly vulnerable due to their comparatively low enrolment in secondary education. For example, girls represent only 39% and 26% of lower and upper secondary enrolment in the border areas, compared to national averages of 42% and 36%. The pilot of inclusive education were conducted In 7 provinces for disadvantaged children, where student enrolment is 44.69% of which 56.48% are girls.
Government/MoEYS has initially responded to this situation by a number of awareness raising program under the Options Program supported by U.S. Department of Labor, focusing particularly on girls and young women both in and out-of-school. A medium term response would be to provide greater access to non-formal school re-entry program. In the longer-term, the problem will need to be addressed by expanding secondary education opportunities in the border communes, including expansion of targeted scholarships in Grades 7-12 for the poor, girls and ethnic minorities.
4.4 Improving Provincial Performance: SWOT Analysis
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The Ministry's analysis of provincial education performance indicates that there is significant variation in the access, quality and efficiency of education provision. The main contributing factors include a) urban/rural/remote location, b) population density, c) school and district remoteness, especially children's distance from school and d) levels of education and experience of provincial, district and school managers. The range of variables and circumstances makes it difficult to translate national sector wide policy targets into provincial, district and school level performance levels.
The Ministry's long-term strategy to address these differentials in strengths and weaknesses between individual provinces, districts and schools is to enable greater decentralisation of education services planning and management. The establishment of district BMCs and provincial monitoring groups over the past four years has been an important first step. The Ministry recognises the opportunity to build quickly on this experience to mitigate any threat of continued wide variations in performance. The Ministry also recognizes that any realignment or delegation of greater authority will need to be accompanied by greater authority to make resource decisions. Good relationship and management between central and provinces based on deconcentration approach.
Table 7: Provincial Net Enrolment Rate, 2003/04
| Province |
Net Enrollment Ratio (Total) |
Net Enrollment Ratio (Girl) |
| |
Primary |
L.Sec. |
U.Sec. |
Primary |
L.Sec. |
U.Sec. |
| Banteay Meanchey |
89% |
14% |
5% |
89% |
14% |
4% |
| Battambang |
89% |
15% |
6% |
86% |
15% |
6% |
| Kampong Cham |
92% |
19% |
6% |
89% |
18% |
5% |
| Kampong Chhnang |
94% |
18% |
6% |
93% |
17% |
5% |
| Kampong Speu |
92% |
16% |
6% |
91% |
14% |
4% |
| Kampong Thom |
91% |
18% |
8% |
91% |
18% |
7% |
| Kampot |
90% |
34% |
11% |
88% |
31% |
7% |
| Kandal |
94% |
26% |
8% |
92% |
25% |
7% |
| Kep |
90% |
22% |
5% |
86% |
21% |
6% |
| Koh Kong |
76% |
7% |
2% |
69% |
7% |
1% |
| Kratie |
90% |
19% |
7% |
88% |
19% |
7% |
| Mondul Kiri |
74% |
6% |
2% |
66% |
6% |
2% |
| Otdar Meanchey |
80% |
6% |
1% |
80% |
5% |
1% |
| Pailin |
91% |
10% |
3% |
93% |
10% |
3% |
| Phnom Penh |
88% |
43% |
22% |
87% |
40% |
20% |
| Preah Vihear |
83% |
7% |
4% |
82% |
7% |
4% |
| Prey Veng |
92% |
20% |
6% |
91% |
17% |
4% |
| Pursat |
90% |
14% |
6% |
88% |
13% |
5% |
| Ratanak Kiri |
54% |
5% |
2% |
46% |
4% |
2% |
| Siemreap |
93% |
14% |
6% |
91% |
13% |
5% |
| Sihanoukville |
90% |
17% |
7% |
86% |
16% |
6% |
| Stung Treng |
88% |
11% |
7% |
86% |
10% |
4% |
| Svay Rieng |
87% |
24% |
7% |
86% |
20% |
4% |
| Takeo |
92% |
34% |
11% |
93% |
31% |
7% |
| Whole Kingdom |
90% |
21% |
8% |
89% |
20% |
7% |
|
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