Thousands of school teachers nationwide are complaining that they have not been paid for nearly two months because of government foot-dragging on an education reform plan.
“My friends borrowed money from his neighbor and is waiting for his salary to pay back the debt,” said a teacher at Kob High School, 25 km from Banteay Meanchey town.
Government officials say they expect to pay teachers by the middle of this month. They say the pay has been delayed because of a new reform meant to encourage administrators to return to the classroom by making their administrative wage lower than that paid to teachers.
The reform measure was meant to solve a teacher shortage—more people are opting for easier office positions—but the initial plan to cut salaries was criticized by administrative staff, who said the pay cuts were too steep.
The government now plans to raise the salaries of both administrators and teachers, but give teachers a larger raise to make it the more attractive job.
“According to the new bill, their salary will not be cut, but there will be a little bit of an increase,” said Chhay Aun, the general director of the administrative and finance department at the Ministry of Education.
Angry teachers—who now make an average of between $15 to $20 a month—say the delay has wreaked havoc on their fragile economic situation.
“Teachers are suffering with low salaries and late payments,” wrote Rong Chhon, president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association, in a letter to Prime Minister Hun Sen.
“These issues have put all of the teachers in trouble and will lead to a protest soon if there is not immediate action by the government,” he warned.
Also suffering are contract teachers hired under a 1997 government plan that sends educated people to schools in teacher-less villages. Those teachers have not been paid for a year, Rong Chhon claimed.
Chhay Aun said there is no budget for contract teachers and the government will end the program.
