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8. Primary and Secondary equivalency education
8.1 The situation » Up
As highlighted above, national formal primary school enrolment is reasonably good at 90% for boys and 84% for girls, but in remote areas it is only 71% overall (and 67% for girls). However, only 45% of primary school students graduate from grade six. The provinces of Mondulkiri, Ratanakiri, Preah Vihear, Oddar Meancheay, Steung Treng, Koh Kong and Kratie all fall well below the national average (with completion rates of only 9% to 40% in ascending order). This data also reflects that enrolment among ethnic minority children is the lowest in the country. Contributing to this situation is a shortage of schools which offer the complete curriculum through grade six. In urban areas, 73 percent of primary schools are complete to grade six but this falls to 58 percent in rural areas and down to only 17 percent in remote schools. A shortage of teachers is also a key factor in remote areas.
There are currently an estimated 10% of boys who never enter school and 16% of girls in the 6 to 11 year old age range. This means that there are currently over 260,000 boys and girls who have never attended school in addition to the 55% of students who do not graduate from grade six (an additional 1.3 million children) and need to complete their studies. Additionally, 79% of boys and 84% of girls in the 12 to 14 year old age range are out of school (an additional 440,000 boys and 450,000 girls). This data also reflects the low net enrolment in formal lower secondary schooling of only 19% (16% for girls). Also, secondary schools are frequently a long distance from student homes and, essentially, require students to live away from home which is a big factor in discouraging girls from studying at the secondary level.
8.2 The rationale » Up
Ensuring that all children and adolescents (aged 6-14 years) have access to nine years of quality basic education is the responsibility of the government as defined in the 1993 constitution. Universal primary education also constitutes a core long-term EFA goal. Currently, the formal education system cannot meet the needs. Although expansion and reform of the formal primary education and lower secondary systems under the ESS and EFA Plans will undoubtedly greatly increase the quantity and quality of schooling available to children, there will still be a large number of children, aged 6-14, who are unable to study full time in the formal system because they must work assisting their families or do not have access to schools. At the secondary equivalency level, "earning while you learn" can be a key motivating factor for families.
8.3 The vision » Up
In order to meet the needs as outlined above, flexible, part-time "equivalency" programs aimed at the primary and lower secondary levels (and later at upper secondary level) are urgently required. Eventually, the same will be required for upper secondary studies. The aim of this program is not to create a parallel system competing with the formal school. Rather, the purpose is to use the methods and flexibility of the non-formal education approach to provide recognized basic education certification (at the grade 6 and grade 9 levels) to those children and adolescents of an age and/or life situation at which they cannot enter or re-enter the formal system on a full-time basis. Additionally, it is critical to fulfill the constitutional guarantee of nine years of basic education as well as meet the millennium goals. Equivalency must allow for both the possibility of further study and/or for entering the world of work. As much as 75% of the content may be equivalent to the formal system but 25% is typically replaced by work/community experience.
8.4 Long-term objective » Up
- To ensure that all children and youth who cannot attend the formal education system, have access to, and complete, free non-formal equivalency education of good quality at the primary level by 2015;
- To ensure that fifty percent of youth, aged 12 to 18, sixty percent of whom must be girls, who cannot attend the formal education system, have access to and complete, free non-formal equivalency education of good quality at the lower secondary level by 2015.
8.5 Medium-term objective » Up
- To ensure that 90% of children, aged 6 to 14, who cannot attend the formal primary education system, have access to and complete, free non-formal equivalency education of good quality at the primary level by 2010.
- To ensure that 25% of youth, aged 12 to 18, sixty percent of whom are girls, who cannot attend the formal lower secondary system, have access to and complete, free non-formal equivalency education of good quality at the lower secondary level by 2010.
- To ensure that 50% of all equivalency instructors are female by 2010.
8.6 Short-term objectives » Up
In cooperation between all relevant departments and NGOs:
- To ensure re-entry of 110,000 primary school drop-outs back into the formal school system through the end of 2005, 70% or more of whom must be girls;
- To complete development and pilot testing of a high-quality primary equivalency program through the sixth grade by 2005. This program will have a targeted initial capacity of 50,000 students per year commencing 2006;
- To ensure a total of 25,000 children, aged 6 to 14, seventy percent or more of whom will be girls, enrol and stay in the primary equivalency pilot program by 2005;
- To complete development and begin pilot testing of a high-quality lower secondary equivalency program through the ninth grade by 2005;
- To ensure at least 50% of primary and 40% of lower secondary trainers and teachers are female by 2005.
8.7 Program modalities » Up
Primary equivalency: This program is aimed at providing a structured, non-formal, part-time primary education curriculum leading to equivalency certification at the sixth grade level. It is targeted at poor children and adolescents of an age and/or life situation at which they cannot enter or re-enter the formal system on a full-time basis. In the initial years, seventy percent of the students must be female, gradually reducing towards fifty percent as gender equality is achieved on or before the target date of 2015. To facilitate the goal of achieving full gender equality, the number of female teachers must expand to 50 percent by 2005.
The curriculum will have an estimated total of 350 to 400 total hours of learning, structured around four core subjects with smaller classes, ideally not more than 25 students, studying an average of two hours per day. The initial planned annual capacity for the primary equivalency program, expected to start in 2005, will be 50,000 students per year, increasing according to the needs in subsequent years.
The primary role of the national level will be to train, facilitate and support the provincial level. Actual planning will take place at the provincial, district and commune level, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations.
Primary re-entry: The "re-entry" program is a short-term activity (2003-2005) aimed at bringing recent primary school drop-outs back into the formal primary system while the primary equivalency program is under development. It is focused on children, aged 10 to 14 years, who have recently dropped out of primary school. The format of the program is two-month intensive tutorial courses, focused primarily on Khmer Language and mathematics skills, to allow students to complete their current level of study and re-enter the formal system at the next level. There is 180 to 200 hours of total curriculum and classes are small, usually with no more than 25 students. Some scholarships are provided to needy students who dropped out because they couldn't afford to attend primary school. The program will end in 2005 and future needs will be met by the primary equivalency program.
Lower secondary equivalency: In a similar manner to the primary program, this program is aimed at providing lower secondary education in a non-formal, part-time structure, with recognized certification at the ninth grade level, to adolescents, aged 12 to 18 years. It is aimed at those who cannot enter or re-enter the formal system on a full-time basis. In order to initiate a correction of current gender disparities, sixty percent of the students must be female throughout the full program to 2015. The secondary equivalency program will be based at commune-level community learning centres, therefore more accessible to girls rather than living away from home. To facilitate the goal of achieving full gender equality, the number of female teachers recruited initially must not be less than 40 percent, increasing to 50 percent by 2010.
The curriculum will have an estimated 950 to 1,150 hours of learning, structured around five core subjects and a full range of electives, three of which must be selected by each student. Normally, classes are held for two hours per day and, ideally, classes should not exceed more than 25 students. The secondary curriculum will introduce self-study materials and, eventually, distance learning support through TV and radio in order to hold costs to a minimum. Some core subjects will be taught by "mobile" teachers who will move from centre to centre. Vocational subjects can use local instructors. Programs in urban areas will increasingly be able to access the ministry school net via internet connections. During the pilot phase, 2004-2005, several thousand students will receive the ninth grade equivalency certificate. The initial planned capacity for the full program, expected to start in 2006, will be 20,000 students per year, increasing according to needs in subsequent years.
Again, the primary role of the national level will be to train, facilitate and support the provincial level. Actual planning and implementation will take place at the provincial, district and commune level, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations.
Upper secondary equivalency: In the medium term, a similar program at the upper secondary level, with twelfth grade equivalency certification, will also be developed.
8.8 Key tasks » Up
Building partnerships between all departments and with provincial and district education authorities and non-governmental agencies to:
- Develop decentralized planning and implementation: Train provincial, district and commune authorities how to plan, implement and monitor equivalency activities, including how to identify, target and "map" specific communities according to established priorities (poverty, age, gender, ethnicity, social group);
- Develop materials: Develop primary and lower secondary equivalency learning and teaching materials consistent with the curriculum including life skills components. Curriculum and materials must be relevant to the areas where the students live. Materials must continue to be "modular" for flexibility of delivery according to learner needs and should incorporate community and learner-centred methodologies; and be highly visual (not dense written text). Area-specific vocational, cultural and environmental materials can be developed locally;
- Select and train trainers: Develop guidelines and training materials for selecting and training (provincial/district) trainers, who should increasingly be female (50% by 2010). Trainers must be exposed to all NFE and development training programs available or planned for their area as a way of building horizontal integration. Ongoing in-service training should also be developed in cooperation with monitoring activities;
- Select and train local equivalency teachers: In a similar manner, develop guidelines and training materials for selecting and training local and area community equivalency teachers, who should increasingly be female (50% by 2010). At the lower secondary level, retired teachers can be recruited;
- Monitor equivalency activities: With local authorities and community representatives, undertake selective on-site case studies of various equivalency activities to determine more precisely who is being reached and how effectively. Develop systems for monitoring performance of trainers and teachers and collecting indicative data. Short-term objectives will be revised each year depending upon progress;
- Incentive scholarships: Incentive scholarships will be necessary for poor female students at the lower secondary level.
8.9 Indicators » Up
- Increased net enrolment rates (NER) for primary and secondary studies, by gender;
- Increased number of primary/lower secondary completion rates, by gender;
- Increased number of trainers and trained equivalency skills teachers;
- Equivalency materials tested and revised for quality, pro-poor relevance and flexibility;
- Increased number of governmental and non-governmental partnered equivalency activities;
- Increased participation of selected poverty/vulnerable groups, especially women;
- Increased demand for, and participation in, equivalency activities by the most disadvantaged and girls;
- Evidence of primary graduates going on to lower secondary education;
- Increased numbers of women trained and deployed as teachers.
8.10.Indicative financial requirements » Up
It is estimated that approximately $40 will be required for every primary level student. It is estimated that per capita lower secondary costs may be over $100.
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Khmer
