The impact of holistic educational programs on quality and learning outcomes (Cambodia)

In spite of recent successes in its educational development mainly as regards access, Cambodia’s education system still ranks among the worst in Southeast Asia, particularly when it comes to educational quality. Since 2013,... [ view full abstract ]

In spite of recent successes in its educational development mainly as regards access, Cambodia’s education system still ranks among the worst in Southeast Asia, particularly when it comes to educational quality. Since 2013, Save the Children International, funded by the Norwegian government (NORAD), has been implementing a four years’ educational pilot program called “I’m Learning!” in 15 rural primary schools in Cambodia. This holistic program is based on four main Quality Learning Environment (QLE) principles: emotional and psychosocial protection; physical protection; teaching learning environment; collaboration between schools and parents/community. Within the framework of community-based development and capacity-building provided to local public human resources, this quality education development program is supposed to be adopted and implemented by local government officials after the pilot period has finished in September 2017. 

The purpose of this presentation is to share the provisional results from research that has examined whether the implementation of the quality-related principles have made a difference to learning outcomes and child development in selected primary schools. The research was based on qualitative and quantitative data collected over three years, 2014-2017.

The presentation will show to what extent this holistic educational program can be relevant to improve the quality of education and student learning outcomes, especially regarding the community-based involvement promoted successfully by “I’m Learning!” (QLE principle 4). It will also question the possible sustainability of the program after the pilot period because of two grounded local realities: the traditional educational values that have been resisting  ‘student-centered’ pedagogies (QLE principle 3) for ten years; and the commitment and accountability of the Cambodian State at the local level (provincial, district, school) that still maintains a strong patronage system preventing international promotion of values related to democracy and children’s empowerment in Cambodian primary schools.