Teachers’ Salaries to Be Reviewed

KHMER TIMES
PECH SOTHEARY



The Education Ministry will look into further increasing the minimum wage for teachers in Cambodia after educators said the recent hike of $37, to take effect next April, was still insufficient.

During the 2016 Teachers’ Day celebration at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia yesterday, Education Minister Hang Chuon Naron acknowledged that teachers’ current wages did not match their cost of living, but reassured them the government would continuously look at ways to support teachers, including reviewing current salaries, ensuring their salaries are disbursed on time and that the local budget for all teachers in remote areas be reviewed.

“The ministry will continue to implement its action plan and various policies in accordance with the government’s goal which facilitated teachers’ salary increase previously,” he said. “And the government will also provide more training to help all teachers.”

The Cambodian Independent Teacher Association (CITA), along with about 100 teachers from various provinces, on Thursday demanded the government further increase their minimum wage to at least 1.5 million riel ($370), not including additional bonuses, via a petition.

This came after Prime Minister Hun Sen announced last Monday that the minimum wage for teachers will be increased to $230, not including additional bonuses, by April next year.

UNESCO representative in Cambodia Anne Lemaistre lauded the ministry’s review of the minimum wage for teachers, but urged immediacy as many teachers were struggling to get by, some even so severely that they had become depressed.

“We are delighted that the education minister promised to increase teachers’ salaries and did what he had promised,” she said.

“However, teachers are currently still facing problems such as depression as their salary is not enough to support their lives and it is especially difficult for teachers in remote areas.”

She added that the government should increase the minimum wage further as it would incentivize teachers to perform better at work, which would improve the overall quality of education in the country.

CITA’s petition, which was handed over to cabinet representative Kong Chamroeun and Education Ministry representative Han Divin on Thursday, also demanded the government take legal action to curb corruption at all levels of education institutions and also called on the Education Ministry to improve the overall quality of education in Cambodia.

Teachers have repeatedly demanded the government increase their minimum wage to 1.5 million riel ($370), which they claim is the amount needed for them to survive and to support their families. However, the recent wage hike was $140 shy of their target.

Teachers now earn a minimum wage of $193, not including additional bonuses.

However Mr. Hun Sen in March pledged to bring the teachers’ minimum wage up to $250 by 2018.

The Cambodian People’s Party has made improving the country’s education system a mainstay of its reform agenda in a bid to win votes.