ADB extends 27.1 mln usd grant to enhance secondary education in Cambodia

(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-27 10:13 GMT:
MUMBAI (Thomson Financial) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it is extending a 27.1 mln usd grant to help improve the quality of secondary education in Cambodia through institutional reforms, teacher training and improving facilities.

The project is estimated to cost 33.38 mln usd and the government of Cambodia will cover the balance.

The project involves enhancing the capacity of the government's ministry of education, youth and sport in planning, managing, administering and regulating the education system of the country.

Teacher training colleges will be provided with better facilities, while some 14,400 lower and upper secondary teachers will benefit from in-service training under the project. Around 300 upper secondary schools will also be assisted in school management, networking and improvement planning.

The project will also provide 350,000 upper secondary students with new textbooks and 7,000 upper secondary teachers with teachers' guides.

The overall quality and efficiency of education in Cambodia remains a serious concern. Low enrolment rates at the secondary level and low percentage of students completing school indicate there are large numbers of young people outside the school system who may be unskilled and unemployable, the ADB said.

Within the education system, schools have poor physical infrastructure and inadequate learning materials, laboratories and libraries. Teachers are also poorly qualified and unmotivated. Limited resources hamper the ability of the government to make improvements and the poor performance of the education system wastes whatever limited resources are available, it added. TFN.newsdesk@thomson.com ans/jro

Source:http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid=6411743&subject=economic&action=article