Innovative Finance
August 1, 2024
Context and Issue
One of the key issues faced by Cambodia was related to the rate of primary school completion rates, especially in the case of boys. Based on the estimates from 2017-2018, only 76% of boys completed primary education. Other education indicators, such as standardized tests, also require improvement, especially in the case of marginalized groups of households. The Education Strategic Plan 2014-2018 and the National Social Protection Strategy 2016-2025 set out plans for this. The Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports scholarship programs are key to these plans.
Solution
The scholarship programs aim to select children from poor households studying at upper primary (grades 4 to 6) or lower secondary (grades 7 to 9) levels, giving each child three payments of US$20 annually. To continue receiving scholarships, students should regularly attend school and have good results.
Impact
Based on evaluations, the scholarship programs illustrated that they have been crucial in improving attainment, school-level officials and rights holders who receive scholarships. There are, however, various areas where the design and implementation of the scholarships can be improved, including timeliness, consistent implementation (especially in targeting), and monitoring and feedback. The scholarships pay attention to equity in the selection and administration, but there is limited equity monitoring (or monitoring in general).