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Problems that building schools in developing countries won't solve
"I've never touched a ruler."
In Cambodia, education collapsed under the Pol Pot regime, and even now, more than 40 years after the civil war, many teachers still say things like this.
About twenty years ago, when Hideo Okubo, the founder of CIESF, first visited Cambodia, ODA from various countries and NGOs were building schools and providing support for teaching materials necessary for instruction. However, when he actually looked at the schools, such supported materials—science experiment tools, math teaching aids, etc.—were left unused.
Many teachers were killed in the civil war. When educational activities began again, teachers could barely read and write Khmer scripts, and classes consisted merely of blindly reading from textbooks.
In such a situation, there were almost no teachers who could properly utilize the supported materials.
- There are times when there is no teacher in the class.
- Many teachers have side jobs, so they often miss classes.
- Teachers can't use compasses or protractors, and they can't conduct science experiments.
Many schools in Cambodia existed while facing these realities.
Upon witnessing this situation, Okubo became convinced that everything begins with education, and that "raising people" is what will save this country. This conviction marked the beginning of CIESF's start.
Once they receive a good education, the next step is employment, but Cambodia still has very few large domestic companies. Therefore, we also provide entrepreneurship development support so that young people can start businesses, create many jobs in the future, and contribute to the country's development. Furthermore, many Japanese companies are expanding into Mekong River basin countries, including rapidly developing Cambodia. We also provide business professional development support so that they can get jobs at these companies and lead stable lives.
Putting a stop to endless support
Putting a stop to endless support
Cambodia's public education system has undergone significant changes over the past 20 years. According to 2024 data*, the primary school completion rate has greatly improved to 82%.
*Reference: UNICEF State of the World's Children 2024 https://www.unicef.or.jp/sowc/data.html
However, the quality of education still remains low compared to global standards. In the 2022 OECD PISA assessment (Programme for International Student Assessment), Cambodia ranked last among 81 participating countries in reading literacy, scientific literacy, and mathematical literacy.
In urban areas domestically, international schools and similar institutions are increasing, allowing access to high-quality education; however, due to high tuition fees, ordinary students cannot attend, and the educational gap continues to widen. For students unable to attend school, there are also NGOs that send teachers from their own countries to operate schools, but it is unclear how long such aid will continue. Educational administrations implementing educational reforms still rely heavily on overseas support, and prospects for improvement remain bleak.
To put a stop to endless aid, improving the quality of public education is key.
To solve this problem, we established the integrated kindergarten, elementary and junior high school CIESF Leaders Academy (CLA) in 2016. (The school name will be changed to JAPAN INTERNATIONAL CIESF LEADERS ACADEMY/JICLA in October 2025.)
We will use this as a model school, expand it nationwide, and work to improve public education.
CIESF carries out essential support activities centered on education to contribute to building a better country, aiming for a sustainable society and a future where global benefit is taken for granted.
Through education-focused efforts, CIESF engages in meaningful support activities that contribute to building a better nation, aiming to realize a sustainable society and a future where global benefits are commonplace.
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