Education in term of ASEAN Intergration

        Southeast Asia is rich in ethnic and cultural diversity, religions, believes natural resources, and biodiversity. Even though, the countries in the region have different political systems, they share some commonalities in history, culture, and tradition. Some countries have painful and unforgettable history and conflict which lead to ‘historical bias’, ‘political distrust’, ‘cultural prejudice’ and ‘absence of mutual understanding’ within and among ASEAN countries and their peoples. Despite diversity, ASEAN members also share common challenges politically, economically, and socio-culturally.

Education is the big main challenges remain a threat between ASEAN and non-ASEAN nations and within ASEAN nations where intrastate and intrastate conflicts keep going on in the region. In term of preparedness of ASEAN Integration 2015, education is the big issues for Cambodian society to challenge with the regional level. In addition, nationalism and distorted history within countries and between countries in the region, Cambodia itself has weak mechanisms, for example; to challenge this issue. This only hampers Cambodia to move straightforward harmonious and peaceful community. Optimistically, such challenges can be a part of our opportunities for all stakeholders including civil society and governments to cooperate together as a whole for a true contemporary educationally, stability and perspective Cambodia. Special, notwithstanding Cambodia has been move in 2012, education is still an on-going issues for this country. Before and after baccalaureate examination, it was noticeable that many students have been failed exam even the government offers the special case to let them to take a resit the exam again. Therefore, it is very significant that all stakeholders should engage, empower and encourage youths to contribute to positive change for sustainable educational and development for Cambodia.

           

            Once again about education in Cambodia, in the 2010/2011 school year, the overall rate of children enrolled in primary school was 95.2 per cent (95.8 per cent for boys and 94.6 per cent for girls), showing that the gender gap at primary level has essentially been eliminated. However, these gains are undermined by persistent challenges that affect a child’s ability to stay in school and conceal regional disparities. While Cambodian children are filling the seats in primary schools, completion rates for primary, and particularly lower secondary education, are low. Poverty pushes many students out of school as many parents, especially in rural areas, cannot afford the direct and indirect costs related to education and families often require children to help at home with chores and field work. Lack of quality of education in schools, leading to high rates of repetition, also contributes to high dropout rates, particularly at the primary school level. Repeating grades results in a significant proportion of overage children in primary schools, preventing children from reaching the transition to secondary school at an age where it still makes sense to continue in education. Challenges multiply for children in rural and remote regions, especially those from ethnic minorities, who lack access to consistent, quality education. In the 2008/2009 school year, nearly half of children in remote areas admitted to grade one were over the age of six, compared to 29 per cent in urban areas. Meanwhile, preschool and other early education opportunities remain largely out of reach for most children, especially those outside of urban centers.

Despite to the fact that children are dynamic with full of curiosity while uncertainty of their future after they had attended the school to make them become restless with fear, Cambodian children have not been empowered and acknowledged. Based on the UNICEF and Cambodian helping Cambodian’s Youth, children of Cambodia are some of the most vulnerable in the world. They suffer extreme poverty, abuse and little protection from their government. Many are trapped in a world of poverty trying to survive by begging from the International tourists. Cambodia’s total population of 14.0 million, around 5.1 million (49.5%) are children under 18 years old and about 18% of children aged 5 to 17 years old are economically active. The average age at which a working child first starts working is 10.4 years. Over 400 children aged 5 to 17 are working at the Phnom Penh garbage dump. Only 35% of these children attend school and the majority of them have worked at the dump for over 3 years. They earn $0.50 to $1 per day. Many suffer work related illnesses. On the same way, many street children in Cambodia It’s estimated that there are 10,000 to 15,000 in Phnom Penh alone. Many of these children come from the provinces to assist with family income or to flee violence and poverty at home. More than two-thirds of these children have lost at least one parent. Many children are orphaned by Aids. On the behalf, initiative youths from diversity background to conceive this valuable charity event to donate some study materials to encourage them to attend the school for better development human resources and stability economic in the future. As a result, it is essential to conduct this charity for the children in order to encourage them to attend the school and raise up their needs, and need contribution with all stakeholders to help for a better improvement, especially for an upcoming turning point of ASEAN Integration 2015.