Overview of Education in Cambodia

Cambodia’s national education system has made a remarkable recovery since the early 1990s, when peace was finally restored to the nation after more than 25 years of political and civil chaos. Participation rates in all sectors have increased significantly, and current policies and strategies now provide a firm basis for future development. However, serious challenges remain, principally concerning quality and equity. There is evidence from various sources that the quality of student learning in Cambodia needs to be dramatically improved. It is also evident that opportunities to access a quality education need to be more widely available at all social levels and across all regions of the country. This chapter presents an overview of the national education system in Cambodia. It discusses the system’s main features, reports on its historical context, and introduces its constituent sectors. It also identifies challenges requiring attention to enable the education system to contribute significantly to future national prosperity.