Cambodia: Second Education Sector Development

Education / Education sector development - Secondary - Technical and vocational education and training

The objectives of the Project are to supplement the policy initiatives under the Program and to enhance equitable access, improve the quality of lower and upper secondary education, and provide demand-driven, community-based skills training opportunities mainly for the out-of-school youth, in underserved areas through lower and upper secondary education opportunities, and community-based skills training in poor communes.

It will support key policy development in these areas; complete the infrastructure requirements of lower secondary education, and consolidate the gains of recent years; establish an initial network of high quality upper secondary model schools, provide schools in districts where there are none, and rehabilitate existing upper secondary schools where needed; enhance capacity of national and provincial training boards to facilitate skills training in the poorest communes; introduce a sustainable skills training voucher system; and strengthen standards monitoring at upper secondary and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and skills training levels.

Despite notable improvements in Cambodia's education sector in the last decade, poverty-related constraints such as the lack of facilities in the poorest, more remote and underserved districts and communes, and inadequate resources to expand poverty-targeted incentives programs, remain. The proposed Project will enhance equitable access to education services and improve the quality of lower and upper secondary education, and provide demand-driven, community-based skills training opportunities in underserved areas. It will support a reform in education targeted at establishing a market-responsive education and training system that will enable an increased level of educational attainment in the workforce and subsequent increase in household income.

ADB has been a lead donor in supporting a sectorwide approach for education in Cambodia, leading to the formulation of an education strategic plan (ESP) and education sector support program (ESSP) in 2001. The Government and donors approved the reform program at a roundtable meeting in June 2001. Subsequent joint ESSP reviews in 2002 and 2003 have reaffirmed the policy and strategic directions of reform and have resulted in additional donor support. Partners have endorsed a common policy action matrix and sector performance benchmarks, indicators, and targets to guide the joint monitoring process and provide a focus for and modalities of donors assistance. ADB has led policy-based support through an ESDP sector development loan approved in late 2001. This ESDP I loan has provided the initial impetus for performance-based monitoring, and has assisted MoEYS and donors in negotiating agreed increases in government spendings on education.

Increased level of educational attainment among new entrants to the workforce, and increased average

household income of skills training beneficiaries.

Output 1: Improved allocation to the education sector

Output 2: Increased access to pro-poor financing and facilities

Output 3: Improved quality and internal efficiency

Output 4: Enhanced management and decentralization of education services

A total of 65 person-months of international and 150 person-months of domestic consulting services will be required from a firm engaged by the executing agency using quality- and cost-based selection method.

International and domestic consultants in the areas of secondary education planning, technical and vocational education and training/skills training system development, and facilities program management and operations, will be required.