For underpaid teachers, a desire for dignity
Hang Mao was among more than 11,000 Phnom Penh public school teachers who were told two weeks ago that corruption in the classroom would no longer be tolerated. The message came from senior city officials, including Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong and municipal education director Chea Cheat, speaking at the city’s annual education conference. Mr. Mao, 41, a primary school teacher in Chamkar Mon district, said that lip service alone would not be enough to banish corruption from the city’s schools, where teachers are paid salaries of about $100 a month. … Ros Tith Malay, 57, began teaching at Boeng Trabek Khang Tbong primary school in Phnom Penh’s Chamkar Mon district shortly after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, in 1981. She said that her salary at the time—85 riel per month—was enough to support her family of five. Now she collects between 500 and 1,000 riel, or between $0.13 and $0.25, per day from each of her students to supplement a monthly income of 320,000 riel, or $80. … As inflation has continued to cut away at the actual value of teacher’s salaries, the government has made a number of failed attempts in recent years to curb extortion in the classrooms. Prime Minister Hun Sen signed a sub-decree in 2008 to encourage the enforcement of Article 31 of the Law on Education, passed by the National Assembly in 2007, which states that “every citizen has the right to access a quality education for free at least nine years in public schools.” …
Phann Ana
http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/for-underpaid-teachers-a-desire-for-dignity-51857/
