Huge numbers of graduates are underemployed in China

The Wall Street Journal26 August 2012 Issue No:236

 

BEIJING—China's labor market has so far proved resilient despite a slowing economy, but that means little to recent college graduate Wu Xiuyan.

"My classmates and I want to find jobs in banks or foreign-trade companies, but the reality is that we can't find positions that match our education," said Ms. Wu, 24 years old, who graduated in June from Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics. She has spent the time since then living at home and trawling recruitment websites.

"I just want a stable, maybe administrative, job," she said, "but why is it so hard?"

China has shown little evidence of rising unemployment despite the slowest growth rate since the global financial crisis—and is nowhere near the jobless rates seen in some of the countries hardest hit by the euro-zone debt crisis. But slowing growth underscores a fundamental challenge to China's economic development: the underemployment of huge numbers of graduates that Chinese colleges are churning out.

Experts say that many of the graduates lack skills such as critical thinking, foreign languages and basic office communications that businesses are looking for. Even small private enterprises that offer humble salaries find many graduates unsatisfactory. "Those small sales companies that desperately need people also reject us graduates," said Ms. Wu. "They say we don't have social resources or work experience that they need."

At the same time, China has made only limited gains in remaking its economy so it relies more on services and innovation and less on construction and assembly-line manufacturing. That limits the markets for the lawyers, engineers and accountants that Chinese universities are producing.
As a result, many graduates find they can get only low-skill jobs that pay far less than they imagined they would make and see a future of limited prospects. A survey of more than 6,000 new graduates conducted last year by Tsinghua University in Beijing said that entry-level salaries of 69% of college graduates are lower than those of the migrant workers who come from the countryside to man Chinese factories, a figure that government statistics currently put at about 2,200 yuan ($345) a month. Graduates from lower-level universities make an average of only 1,903 yuan a month, it said.
Li Junjie graduated in June from Communication University of China, majoring in broadcast journalism. "It is getting even harder for us to get a job than the previous graduates of my major because fewer positions are left for me and my classmates," said the 23-year-old native of southern Guangdong province, who is staying with friends in Beijing as he looks for work.
"Media outlets here look for professionals or native English speakers, not fresh Chinese graduates with only a diploma."

While worker dissatisfaction hasn't manifested itself politically, such as in public protests, it is bound to be a worry for China's top leaders who regularly stress the need to avoid social instability, particularly ahead of this fall's leadership change. Economically, China's productivity gains could slow if it can't better match the demand of its current job market and the skills of its graduates.
China's universities have churned out more than 39 million graduates with undergraduate or specialized degrees over the past decade, according to the Ministry of Education. People with some college education now account for about 8.9% of China's population, according to 2010 government data. While that's a much smaller proportion than the 36.7% of the adult population in the U.S, it's a sharp rise from China's 3.6% in 2000.

The employment rate of China's college graduates last year was 90%, according to a survey by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and MyCOS Research Institute, a Beijing-based education consulting firm. But only 47% of the 256,000 Chinese graduates surveyed said they feel satisfied in their current job.

"To solve the underemployment problem, you need to adjust the economy for the workforce that China has now," said Chetan Ahya, an economist and managing director at Morgan Stanley. "A comprehensive approach is needed to create jobs with high value."

"High-end jobs that should have been produced by industrialization, including research, marketing and accounting etc., have been left in the West," said Chen Yuyu, associate professor at Peking University's Guanghua School of Management. Referencing the trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., 2317.TW +0.69% the Taiwan-based company that makes gadgets for Apple Inc.
AAPL +0.09% and others in Chinese factories, he said, "We only have assembly lines in Foxconns."
Solving the problem is complex, involving a gradual overhaul of China's education system as well as efforts to add more service-sector jobs. China's Ministry of Education in 2010 unveiled new guidelines pressing universities to shift away from their traditional focus on increasing enrollment. It is also experimenting with giving faculty greater say over curriculum and school operations, though universities remain tightly controlled by the Communist Party.

A large population of college-educated workers with ambitions for better jobs could have long-term advantages, economists say. Educated labor could make China more appealing to both foreign and domestic companies hoping to add service-oriented jobs in China. The group so far also seems less likely to stir unrest than migrant workers, who in recent years have staged protests in some areas over low pay and other issues.

"The underemployment is more a short-term problem," says Albert Park, professor of Economics at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "The demand will be there for China's graduates."

—Lilian Lin

A version of this article appeared August 22, 2012, on page A12 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: China's Graduates Face Glut.

 

Job market has changed but universities pump out graduates

Vangelis Tsiligiris 26 August 2012 Issue No:236

 

With the rise in fees in the UK and elsewhere, higher education institutions have started exploring ways of responding to anticipated increased expectations of students. Investment in sport and IT facilities and additional teaching are some of the ways in which institutions are trying to respond to the ‘value for money’ conundrum.

However, I think that we are missing a really important trick.

Presumably, for a change, we can all agree that if we were to ask current and future students what they would consider to be the most rewarding outcome of their time and money investment in higher education, they would answer “a job”. Sadly, not many institutions can guarantee students that they will be able to find a job any time soon after graduation.

In the recent past, employability has been one of the most popular catchphrases in higher education. However, employability does not mean employment; it means the propensity or the readiness of students to fulfil employment market requirements.

So perhaps the main question that should be asked today is: to what extent is the global economy able to create new jobs at the same pace that higher education institutions produce graduates?

Rise of derivatives has changed employment

In my opinion, the rise of markets for financial derivatives that are primarily traded outside the main stock exchanges – the so-called over-the-counter (OTC) markets – has altered the essence of wealth creation and consequently employment under the capitalism system as we knew it.

The main advantages of these financial products are low taxes and the direct negotiation between seller and buyers with or without minimum interference by the authorities.

To conceptualise the size of this market, consider the latest report by the Bank of International Settlements, published in May 2012. It states that the total notional value of OTC derivatives reached US$648 trillion at the end of 2011. This is almost nine times the gross world product which, according to the CIA Factbook, was estimated at US$70.16 trillion in 2011.

Thus, today an investor can choose to invest in an extensive selection of financial by-products that can generate profits even in cases where the markets concerned are in decline. Moreover, investors are not required to have capital to invest in these financial derivatives; they can simply borrow to invest. This means that almost any individual is able to make money out of money and, most importantly, by investing money they do not have.

Where are the jobs?

But what has all of this got to do with higher education?

For years now, higher education has been considered as the means to social mobility and better employment prospects. Whatever the view you take about the role of globalisation, human capital is considered the cornerstone of the modern economy.

This is according to the Marxist view of the capitalist system as being based on the production of goods and services for the creation of wealth. It is also assumed that this production process, whatever its nature and scale, involves some employment, even if that is at a reduced scale as a result of technological advancements.

Nevertheless, modern financial products have made this traditional ‘investment-production-wealth’ process less attractive to investors. Today, an investor is much less likely to invest in a factory, a plant or any other form of production of goods or services, when the same investment can generate a higher return in the short to medium term without the risks involved in managing people, inventories and production operations.

So the question that arises is: where are the jobs going to come from?

That is something very few in higher education, not least in economic policy, have thought about. There has been an over-concentration on ‘producing’ employable graduates, but no one seems to recognise that the economy has been slower and slower at creating jobs.

Higher education authorities have been busy projecting a booming future for graduates while there is very little evidence to reassure graduates that they will land a job.

A recent report published by the International Labour Organisation states that youth unemployment is rising in all parts of the world and the global rate is projected to reach 12.7% by the end of 2012, with a further negative projection up until 2016.

The same report states that education tends to act as a shield against unemployment; however, education does not guarantee employment. Another report, published by the Office of National Statistics in the UK, reveals that the percentage of graduates employed in lower skilled jobs increased from 26.7% in 2001 to 36% in 2011.

In specific parts of the world, graduate employment prospects are clearly worse than they used to be. For example, in the US, according to a publication by Associated Press, “the job prospects for bachelor degree holders fell last year [2011] to the lowest level in more than a decade”.

Economic change and tuition fees

At the same time, within this changing global economic environment, governments tend to receive no income from tax-free financial transactions while the income from corporate taxes is constantly in decline, primarily because of modern tax avoidance practices adopted by corporations.

This affects the ability of governments to contribute financially to higher education and consequently increases the need for direct financial contributions by students and their families.

In turn, this creates a vicious cycle of students becoming more demanding about ‘value for money’ with a strong emphasis on finding employment after graduation so they can get a return on their investment. Higher education institutions end up with less financial support to meet higher student expectations.

Furthermore, the booming derivatives market has changed the mechanism of money creation in the economy. As a consequence, macro-economic policy is becoming ineffective, making economic recovery a painful and unrealisable task while worsening the prospects for boosting employment.

In a depressed economic environment there is a danger of having too many highly employable graduates but too few jobs, something that is in line with the findings of the recent reports discussed earlier.

This graduate surplus affects the type of jobs accepted by graduates, devalues undergraduate degrees and puts the emphasis on vocational qualifications.

Higher education policy has failed to respond

At an economic policy level, we have failed to recognise the dramatic change that has occurred in the global economic system over the past 20 years or so; while at a higher education policy level we continue focusing on widening access and achieving recruitment targets without considering the consequences of the oversupply of graduates.

So, there seems to be a forthcoming challenge for higher education, both at a policy and operational level, as we enter a period of high student expectations and high graduate unemployment.

* Vangelis Tsiligiris is college principal of MBS College in Crete, Greece, and a PhD candidate at Birmingham City University. 

Writer quits Yale board after plagiarism scandal in the United States

Press Trust of India26 August 2012 Issue No:236

 

After a long association with Yale University, noted Indian American writer and journalist Fareed Zakaria has resigned from its governing body to focus on his journalistic career, reports the Press Trust of India.

Zakaria, who received his bachelor degree from the university, has been associated with the Yale Corporation for the past six years. The decision of Zakaria to shed some of his non-journalistic responsibilities has come close on the heels of accusations of plagiarism against him. However, CNN and Time magazine have completed their probe into the matter and revoked their month-long suspension slapped on the writer.

“With great regret, I have decided that I will not be able to serve a second term as a successor fellow of Yale Corporation. I am re-examining my professional life and I have recognised that, in order to focus on the core of my work, I will have to shed some of my other responsibilities,” Zakaria informed Yale in his resignation letter, according to a university statement last Monday.

Full report on the Hindustan Times site 

 

Plagiarism scandal continues after forgery verdict in Thailand

Yojana Sharma and Suluck Lamubol26 August 2012 Issue No:236

 

Thailand’s National Innovation Agency Director Supachai Lorlowhakarn was found guilty of criminal forgery on 8 August, just weeks after the council of Chulalongkorn University revoked his PhD in science because of plagiarism.

The South Bangkok District Court, whose written verdict was only made available last week, ruled that Supachai fabricated and made use of a falsified employment contract of his litigant Wyn Ellis, a Thailand-based British agriculture researcher and a former consultant to NIA.

The court accepted “beyond any doubt that the defendant [Supachai] was the principal party in committing document forgery”, and added that Supachai “cannot avoid responsibility by claiming this was an action of his subordinate and he did not know about it”.

The court levied a 6,000 baht (US$190) fine and imposed a six-month suspended prison sentence on Supachai.

The verdict has significance in an ongoing plagiarism case involving Supachai and Ellis that has shocked academics and the public.

Ellis claims he is the main author and was project manager of the research, “Strengthening the Export Capacity of Thailand’s Organic Agriculture”, commissioned by the Geneva-based UN International Trade Centre in 2007.

Supachai insists that he possesses the rights to the same research, which he used in his PhD thesis. On 21 June this year, Chulalongkorn University declared that Supachai was guilty of plagiarising 80% of his thesis, and revoked the PhD.

Employment contract tampered with

According to the court’s full verdict on the forgery case, the attempt to falsely reduce Ellis’ employment contract term was aimed at using it as supporting evidence for Supachai’s own claim that Ellis did not have a main role in producing the disputed research, but was merely a translator and copyrighter of the work.

Ellis filed complaints against Supachai for alleged document forgery in 2008, stating that Supachai illegally amended his employment contract as consultant for the NIA from six months (originally from January to June 2007) to three months (January to March 2007).

According to the court, “the reason for altering the employment contract to show only three months was because the plaintiff’s [Ellis’] position according to the contract was an important one; the defendant needed to minimise the plaintiff’s role; reducing the duration to only three months made the appointment seem temporary, showing that the plaintiff had no role in writing the disputed article.”

The court accepted that Supachai was the principal party in committing document forgery and found him guilty according to Articles 264 (criminal forgery) and 268(1) (making use of or citing from a forged document), “because the defendant was the person who forged the documents, and used the forged documents”.

Forged document used to undermine claim

The possibility of the document forgery came to light when in August 2008 Ellis filed petitions to Chulalongkorn University’s rector and the Ministry of Science and Technology against Supachai’s alleged plagiarism.

This prompted Supachai to lodge counter claims against Ellis and subsequently against Bangkok Post journalist Erika Fry, who had investigated the case for the newspaper, for defamation. Although the case was later dismissed, Ellis noticed that his employment contract, used as supporting evidence, was forged, leading to a further lawsuit.

Ellis told University World News: “The court has ruled that my contract was altered to undermine my claim to lead authorship of a technical article, found to have been plagiarised in the defendant’s PhD thesis. Also, most of the article’s entire introduction is reproduced in a paper published in the Thai Journal of Agricultural Science.

“I hope that this verdict will now persuade the TJAS to retract the paper without further delay,” he said.

“It’s also significant that the court also held the defendant responsible for an official NIA memo submitted in evidence by the defendant, which the court ruled was dated retrospectively and was not true to the facts. The court’s verdict, though subject to appeal, shows the extent to which some will go to hide their tracks.”

Ellis has several times called on the TJAS to retract Supachai’s article.

Retraction debate continues

TJAS Editor-in-chief Irb Kheoruenromne said he was ready and willing to retract the article but had to wait for a court ruling on Supachai’s complaint against Chulalongkorn University.

In response to the decision to revoke his PhD, Supachai declared he would file a complaint against the university for "misuse of power".

During a 25 June press conference, Supachai said the investigation led by the university’s committee was “unusually rapid” and “against good governance and rule of law”.

“This has been a complicated matter…we are willing to retract the paper if the court decides that Supachai is really guilty [of plagiarism], but we can’t retract just like that because there was agreement in our publishing [his article] in which he said that he owned the rights of the work,” Irb told University World News.

As Supachai is also likely to appeal the forgery ruling, Irb said: “I am not so sure what is going to happen now, I have to say. But the chances are high that this paper will be withdrawn from the journal.”

Lieke Boersma of Wageningen Academic Publishers in The Netherlands, which holds the copyright to the Wyn Ellis material, said the disputed paper “is still there in the Thai journal this week. We also heard about the 8 August verdict and thought they will withdraw it now.” She said Wageningen was disappointed that the paper had not been withdrawn earlier.

Wageningen asked the TJAS to retract the paper over a year ago, but the journal would only do so with a court ruling “which would have been complicated from The Netherlands, so we did not go further with this”, Boersma said. “We will contact them now.”

Supachai’s NIA role

Science and Technology Minister Plodprasob Surasawadi, who oversees the NIA, has said the withdrawal of Supachai’s PhD would not affect his position or work at the NIA, since Supachai used his masters degree to apply for the job, the online agency Thaipublica reported on 8 July.

The chair of the NIA board, Pornchai Rujiprapa, who is also permanent secretary at the Ministry of Science and Technology, was reported by the Bangkok Post on 26 June as saying that the withdrawal of the PhD was a personal matter for Supachai.

Ellis told University World News: “It is incumbent upon the ministry and NIA board to exercise their powers immediately to limit the continuing damage to the global reputation and good standing of both agencies.”
 

Students condemn increased cost of living, registration fees and charges in France

Jane Marshall24 August 2012 Issue No:236

In the run-up to the new academic year, France’s two biggest student organisations have condemned rises in students’ living costs and demanded that the government reverse increases in university registration fees and other compulsory charges.

Minister for Higher Education and Research Geneviève Fioraso sympathised with students whose purchasing power was declining, but denied she had raised fees unreasonably and said she was giving priority to making higher education more accessible to young people from poorer families.

Both the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France (UNEF) and the Fédération des Associations Générales d’Étudiants (FAGE) last week published their annual inquiries into students’ living expenses.

UNEF claimed that these would rise by 3.7% in 2012-13 compared to last year – nearly twice the rate of inflation – while FAGE calculated that a student would have to pay €2,434.33 (US$3,060) at the start of the university year, 2.6% more than in 2011-12.

A major cause of the increased costs was an explosion in rents, which had risen 10.8% in Paris and 2.3% in the rest of the country according to UNEF, which warned of the ‘pauperisation’ of students. FAGE said housing represented more than 45% of students’ budgets.

Other items that had risen sharply in terms of costs were clothes, up 4%, and food, up 3.2%, UNEF said.

FAGE criticized in particular the rise in compulsory charges such as university registration fees, which are fixed annually by government decree. This year they are €181 for a licence (bachelor equivalent) course, up by 2.26%; €250 for a masters, up 2%; and €380 for a doctorate, up 2.15%.

University restaurant meals and compulsory social security contributions had also increased.

FAGE, which has been carrying out its inquiries for 10 years, calculated that student costs had risen by 50% over the past decade – “33 points more than inflation, while social benefits rose by only 23%”. During that time enrolment fees had risen by 28%, 11 points above inflation, it said.

UNEF described students as “the least protected population”. It said the economic crisis had made it impossible for many parents to fund their children’s higher education and, with only two students in 10 in receipt of grants, 80% had no financial support.

As a result student wages had become the chief means for financing studies, with 73% of students now taking paid employment compared with only 48% in 2006. Students who took paid jobs were twice as likely to fail their exams as those who could study full time, said UNEF.

Both organisations demanded reform of student financial benefits, which they proposed could be paid for by reorganisation of a tax concession made to families with responsibility for a student, which generally favoured the better-off.

UNEF called for a doubling of the grants budget and introduction of an ‘autonomy allowance’ – a grant for living expenses for all students not dependent on their families, as promised by the socialist President François Hollande during his election campaign earlier this year.

FAGE proposed a means-tested allowance for which twice the number of students currently receiving a grant would be eligible.

In response to the two organisations, Minister Fioraso said that students, like all French people, had seen their purchasing power diminish in the past few years; policies of the previous right-wing government had aggravated their difficulties, she said.

Her major priority was to widen access to higher education, and she was introducing an ambitious policy to support students from modest backgrounds.

Fioraso denied raising university charges substantially, pointing out that “while several countries have chosen to increase very significantly that part of the costs of education financed by the students”, French registration fees had risen only by the inflation rate of 2.1%. This year’s increases were only €4 for a licence course, €5 for a masters and €8 for a doctorate, she said.

Apart from Scandinavian countries, where higher education was free, France’s fees were among the lowest in the world, she added. Student grants had been raised by 2.1%.

A major new initiative was the government’s decision to control rents, which would favour very many students.

Fioraso said the president had expressed his intention to review existing benefits, and create a means-tested higher education allowance. Consultations would begin soon, she said.
 

Karaoke girls’ sad song

Friday, 24 August 2012

Princess Soma Norodom

 

Karaoke is one of Asia’s favourite pastimes. The creator of the karaoke machine is Japanese, but a Filipino businessman, Robert del Rosario, takes credit for the invention because he was smart enough to patent it.

From Taipei, Jakarta and Manila to Hanoi and Hong Kong, karaoke (KTV) is very popular, and Phnom Penh is no exception.

There are so many karaoke bars throughout our city, but it was difficult to find one that was appropriate for my friends, their parents and me to go to.

Eventually, I found a family-style KTV bar, and it was what karaoke should be about: singing along to the lyrics of your favourite songs.

In many KTV bars in Cambodia, customers enjoy singing, dancing, drinking and having a great time. In most KTV bars, men enjoy other perks with young women.

Many karaoke girls augment their income by moonlighting as prostitutes. Young women from rural areas earn the respect of their villages by sending money home, despite the fact they work in karaoke bars, massage parlours and brothels.

Customers of KTV bars range from tourists, expats and foreigners to local Khmers, and sexual exploit-ation of girls in Cambodia has increased as a result of the financial crisis.

Many women have entered the sex industry because of declining working conditions in the garment sector, where they endured long hours and low pay.

They can easily earn more money, and enjoy good working conditions, by becoming prostitutes in KTV bars.

Some karaoke-bar owners run a clean operation, but many of them hire girls to perform sexual acts with the customers.

Clients negotiate a price, pay a bar fine to take girls off the premises, and enjoy a few hours, or a night, with them. Asian customers like Vietnamese women, who dominate Phnom Penh’s sex scene, because of their preference for pale skin and fine features.

Prostitution is illegal in Cambodia, and the government has banned songs that encourage infidelity from being played in KTV bars.

But with thousands of go-go girls and karaoke hostesses, this country is famous for sex tourism.

That image must change, and it will take more than the government to correct it. It takes the community, and the people, to reduce supply and demand in this trade.

I recommend more vocational-training programs education that focuses on skills related to a specific career or trade.

After that training, these women can be placed in a job-assistance program and earn money without having to sell their bodies.

Vocational training tends to be less expensive than academic educational programs, but it should be affordable, or free, to anyone who wants to escape the sex industry.

NGO Acting for Women in Distressing Situations (AFESIP) provides skills training in fields that include sewing, housekeeping, hairdressing, weaving, handicrafts, small-business management and social work.

The program enables participants to attain self-sufficiency and financial independence, with the opportunity to find employment or run their own business.

At the family-style KTV, we sang the song She Works Hard for the Money, about a waitress who won’t do anything sexual to make money.

There is hope. And if you have hope, you have a chance to make money the respectful way.

---

The Social Agenda with Soma Norodom
The views expressed above are solely the author’s and do not reflect any positions taken by The

Cambodian students fear losing jobs to ASEAN neighbours

Monday, 27 August 2012

Justine Drennan

 

The vision regional leaders have for an ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 may become clearer after this week’s Economic Ministers meeting in Siem Reap, but not everyone has a rose-coloured view of what such integration might mean for Cambodia.

“My peers are really concerned that other countries have many more skills and higher study levels,” National Institute of Business student Chan Kakada, 22, said yesterday, ahead of Prime Minister Hun Sen officially opening the meeting today.

Students who have not mastered the English language also fear employment opportunities will fade into the face of stiffer competition for English skills, Kakada, who hopes to one day open her own travel agency, said.

“If Cambodian students can’t compete with other ASEAN countries, maybe in the future [Cambodians] will be jobless after ‘ASEAN-alisation’,” she said, using a term coined by one of her professors, who urges students to study hard and choose their subjects carefully so they can compete in a regional labour market when the AEC’s free movement of skilled labour agreement comes into effect.

The AEC’s proposed labour agreement – to facilitate work permits and relax foreign worker quotas – being discussed at the economic minister’s meeting only includes certain skilled sectors: architecture, engineering, accounting, surveying, medicine and tourism.

University students may have reason to fear, experts say. But, ultimately, few Cambodians have technical skills that will be impacted under the AEC labour agreement, Kang Chandararot, head of the economics unit at independent analyst group Cambodia Institute of Development Study, said.

“The issue is how many skilled labourers we can produce when 80 per cent of labour in the economy is in rural areas,” he said.

“Because of seasonal unemployment and the dependence on a subsistence economy of Cambodian rural households, it is very difficult to promote the benefits of acquiring more skills,” Chandararot said, emphasising that for Cambodians to upskill into technical fields like surveying or medicine, there needed to be a tangible incentive to do so. Without such an incentive, the Cambodian labour market will “not be able to absorb benefits from integration”, he said.

In a country where 50 per cent of the workforce has not finished primary school, AEC integration will be a challenge for Cambodia, but also a chance to catch up, according to Sok Siphanna, adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

But Moeun Tola, head of the labour program at Cambodian NGO Community Legal Education Center, said, “What I can see at the moment is Cambodia has not done anything yet in terms of improvement of human resource quality, in terms of skilled workers and knowledgeable people, in order to pick up good jobs.”

Under current conditions, as ASEAN economies integrate, Cambodia may get stuck supplying other countries with unskilled labour, which current agreements don’t regulate or protect, while foreign workers take skilled jobs, Tola said.

“2015 is a little bit early for Cambodia [to integrate] if you look at the situation,” he said.

Even professionals from sectors included in the labour integration agreement said they were unaware of the pending changes.

“Especially private businesses, they just think of themselves, not with respect to ASEAN or 2015,” Koam Sinoun, who is a dentist in private practice and also a Ministry of Health official, said.

“[Private practices] are working to improve, not with respect to the ASEAN plan, but just separately, for the needs of the country,” Sinoun said. However, this two-steam approach is ultimately counterproductive in the face of regional integration and the Asian Development Bank and labour and education ministries are trying to encourage private businesses to implement regional standardised certification toward an AEC “common framework for quality assurance”, said Mar Sophea, ADB senior social sector officer.

A Labour Ministry and ADB initiative, for example, offers technical and vocational education and training certification to secondary level students at 38 sites across the country.

This program, which focuses on construction, car repair and internet technology with business applications, faces a tough task, since even aspiring professionals tend to pursue administrative rather than technical skills, according to ADB and ministry materials.

ASEAN programs like the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) also are encouraging skills acquisition in Cambodia, said director of ASEAN’s integration monitoring office Aladdin Rillo. The IAI’s investment and development programs broadly seek to close the “development gap” between the original “ASEAN-6” and the less-developed member states of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar.

“But these are actually national issues,” Rillo said. “If countries are not able to implement these changes, they will still have the same problems.” For this reason, he said, “I think realistically there will be some short-term adverse effects of the economic integration.”

អ្នក​វិភាគ៖ វិស័យ​អប់រំ​កម្ពុជា គុណភាព​នៅ​មាន​កម្រិត

ដោយ ទីន ហ្សាការីយ៉ា

2012-08-22

នៅ​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា អ្នក​ដែល​មាន​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​ខ្ពង់ៗ ពួក​គាត់​មាន​ឱកាស​តិចតួច ដែល​អាច​ចូល​បម្រើ​ការងារ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ជួរ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​បាន ដូច្នេះ​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​ប្រទេស​ក៏​មិន​អាច​វិវឌ្ឍន៍​ទៅ​បាន​លឿន​ដែរ។ ម្យ៉ាង​ទៀត វិស័យ​អប់រំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា គុណភាព​នៅ​មាន​កម្រិត​នៅ​ឡើយ​នោះ។

ថ្វី​ត្បិត​តែ​នៅ​សង្គម​កម្ពុជា នៅ​ក្នុង​រយៈពេល​ប៉ុន្មាន​ឆ្នាំ​ចុង​ក្រោយ​នេះ សន្ទុះ​សិស្ស​និស្សិត​បាន​ហក់​ចូល​ក្នុង​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ច្រើន​ក្ដី ប៉ុន្តែ​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្ថានភាព​បច្ចុប្បន្ន​នៅ​កម្ពុជា ស្ថិត​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្ថានភាព​មួយ​គួរ​ឲ្យ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ ដោយ​សារ​តែ​បញ្ហា​គុណភាព។

ក្រុម​អ្នក​ជំនាញ​ខាង​អប់រំ និង​អ្នក​វិភាគ​បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ជា​កត្តា​មួយ​ដ៏​សំខាន់ សម្រាប់​ឲ្យ​ពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា​គ្រប់​រូប ចាប់​អារម្មណ៍​នឹង​វិស័យ​អប់រំ និង​ទទួល​បាន​ការ​អប់រំ​ឲ្យ​បាន​គ្រប់ៗ​គ្នា ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​មាន​ការ​យល់​ដឹង​ខ្ពស់ មាន​ការ​ផ្លាស់​ប្ដូរ​ផ្នត់​គំនិត ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​មាន​ក្រម​សីលធម៌ សេចក្ដី​ថ្លៃថ្នូរ និង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​ល្អ​ក្នុង​សង្គម​ជាដើម។

ប្រធាន​គ្រប់គ្រង​ផ្នែក​អប់រំ នៃ​អង្គការ​សង្គ្រោះ​កុមារ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា (Save The Children) លោក កែវ សារ៉ាត់ មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា ការ​រក​ចំណូល​សម្រាប់​ផ្គត់ផ្គង់​គ្រួសារ ឬ​សង្គម​ជាតិ អាស្រ័យ​លើ​សង្គម​នោះ​មាន​ធនធាន​មនុស្ស​ច្រើន ការ​អប់រំ​បាន​ស្មើ​ភាព​គ្នា និង​លទ្ធផល​អប់រំ​មាន​គុណភាព។ លោក​បញ្ជាក់​ថា ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​សង្គម ចាំ​បាច់​ណាស់​ត្រូវ​ការ​មនុស្ស​មាន​សមត្ថភាព ដើម្បី​ទំនាក់​ទំនង​នៅ​ក្នុង​សង្គម។

ទោះ​បី​ជា​សព្វ​ថ្ងៃ​ចំនួន​កុមារ​បាន​ចូល​រៀន​ជាង​៩០%​ហើយ​ក្ដី ពីព្រោះ​ថា វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ដែល​មាន​គុណភាព​នោះ ជា​កត្តា​ចាំ​បាច់​សម្រាប់​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​ប្រទេស​មាន​ការ​រីក​ ចម្រើន​ឆាប់​រហ័ស តាម​រយៈ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ប្រទេស​មាន​ជំនាញ​ច្បាស់​លាស់ និង​មាន​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​គ្រប់​គ្នា។ ផ្ទុយ​ទៅ​វិញ មាន​ករណី​មួយ​ចំនួន​ដែល​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា គ្មាន​គុណភាព ទោះ​បី​ជា​មនុស្ស​គ្រប់​រូប​យល់​ថា វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ជា​ផ្នែក​មួយ​ដ៏​សំខាន់​ក្នុង​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​ជាតិ​ក្ដី តែ​ភាព​ធូរ​រលុង នៃ​ប្រព័ន្ធ​អប់រំ ពិសេស​នៅ​ពេល​ប្រឡង។

របាយការណ៍​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​របស់​អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​ផ្នែក​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​សង្គម បាន​រក​ឃើញ​ថា សិស្ស​ប្រឡង​មធ្យម​សិក្សា​ទុតិយភូមិ ឬ​បាក់ឌុប សិស្ស​ចំនួន​៧៨%​បាន​ឆ្លើយ​ថា ពួក​គេ​ចម្លង​គ្នា​ទៅ​វិញ​ទៅ​មក​ក្នុង​ពេល​ប្រឡង។ កូន​សិស្ស​៦៧%​បាន​ឆ្លើយ​ថា ពួក​គេ​បាន​ចំណាយ​ប្រាក់​សម្រាប់​ការ​ប្រឡង គិត​ជា​មធ្យម​ក្នុង​ម្នាក់​ចំណាយ​លុយ​ប្រមាណ​៣០​ដុល្លារ សម្រាប់​រាយ​ឲ្យ​គ្រូ​ពេល​ប្រឡង។ ចំនួន​សិស្ស​៩២%​ឆ្លើយ​ថា ពួក​គេ​ប្រមូល​លុយ​ក្នុង​ថ្នាក់ សម្រាប់​គ្រូ​អនុរក្ស​ពេល​ប្រឡង ដើម្បី​មាន​សិទ្ធិ​លួច​ចម្លង​គ្នា និង​បើក​មើល​កំណែ​បាន​ជាដើម។

អ្នក​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​សង្គម លោក កែម ឡី បាន​សម្ដែង​ការ​ព្រួយ​បារម្ភ​អំពី​កត្តា​គុណភាព​អប់រំ នៅ​មាន​កម្រិត​នៅ​ឡើយ​នេះ ដែល​ជា​ហេតុ​នាំ​ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​ពិបាក​នឹង​ប្រកួត​ប្រជែង​ជាមួយ​ប្រទេស​ជិត​ ខាង នៅ​ពេល​អនាគត ពិសេស​នៅ​ឆ្នាំ​២០១៥ នៅ​ពេល​ប្រទេស​ជា​សមាជិក​អាស៊ាន នឹង​ធ្វើ​សមាហរណកម្ម​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​ក្នុង​តំបន់។

ក្រុម​អ្នក​វិភាគ​បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ការ​សិក្សា​មាន​គុណភាព​ទៅ​បាន​នោះ មាន​កត្តា​ជាច្រើន ដូច​ជា ត្រូវ​កែ​ប្រែ​កម្មវិធី​សិក្សា ចាប់​ពី​មត្តេយ្យ​សិក្សា​ដល់​ឧត្តម​សិក្សា រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ត្រូវ​រៀបចំ និង​មាន​វិធានការ​ច្បាស់​លាស់ គុណភាព​គ្រូ និង​សិស្ស បរិស្ថាន​នៃ​ការ​សិក្សា តួនាទី​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល និង​ការ​ចូល​រួម​ពី​សង្គម​គ្រួសារ តាម​រយៈ​ការ​ចំណាយ​ថវិកា​ទៅ​លើ​កូន​ឲ្យ​ចំ​ទិសដៅ។

គុណភាព​អប់រំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា នៅ​មាន​កម្រិត ជា​កត្តា​រាំងស្ទះ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​សង្គម​ជាតិ ពីព្រោះ​ថា ការ​អប់រំ​មាន​តួនាទី​សំខាន់​ណាស់ ការ​អប់រំ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​មាន​ក្រម​សីលធម៌​វិជ្ជាជីវៈ បណ្ដុះ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​ស្រឡាញ់​ជាតិ បណ្ដុះ​ឲ្យ​មនុស្ស​ជា​ឆ្អឹង​ខ្នង​ទ្រទ្រង់​សង្គម បណ្ដុះ​មនុស្ស​ឲ្យ​ស្គាល់​សីលធម៌ និង​សច្ចធម៌ នៃ​សង្គម បណ្ដុះ​មនុស្ស​ឲ្យ​ស្គាល់​នូវ​វប្បធម៌​របស់​ខ្លួន បណ្ដុះ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​ផ្លាស់​ប្ដូរ​ផ្នត់​គំនិត និង​ផ្សេងៗ​ទៀត។

អ្នក​ជំនាញ​ផ្នែក​វិទ្យាសាស្ត្រ​នយោបាយ និង​ជា​អ្នក​វិភាគ​ឯករាជ្យ លោក​បណ្ឌិត សុខ ទូច មាន​ប្រសាសន៍​ថា គ្រប់​ប្រទេស​ទាំង​អស់​នៅ​លើ​សកលលោក ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​ប្រទេស គេ​ពឹង​ផ្អែក​លើ​វិស័យ​អប់រំ ជា​បញ្ហា​ចម្បង ពោល​គឺ​ប្រទេស​នោះ គេ​ទាម​ទារ​អ្នក​មាន​ចំណេះ​ដឹង។ លោក​អះអាង​ថា ដើម្បី​រំដោះ​ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា​រួច​ផុត​ពី​ភាព​ក្រីក្រ ក៏​ត្រូវ​តែ​ទាម​ទារ​នូវ​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ដែរ។

លោក​បណ្ឌិត សុខ ទូច បាន​ពន្យល់​ថា ការ​ដឹកនាំ​ប្រទេស​មួយ​ឲ្យ​មាន​និរន្តរភាព​នោះ រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ត្រូវ​ទាម​ទារ​ឲ្យ​មាន​អ្នក​ជំនាញ​តាម​ផ្នែក​នីមួយៗ ជា​អ្នក​ផ្ដល់​មតិ​យោបល់ ដើម្បី​បង្ហាញ​ផ្លូវ និង​មាន​ចក្ខុវិស័យ​វែង​ឆ្ងាយ។ លោក​បណ្ឌិត សុខ ទូច បាន​ហៅ​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​បែប​ជំហាន​គីង្គក់​របស់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​បច្ចុប្បន្ន មិន​មែន​ជា​ការ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​ដោយ​បែប​អប់រំ​នោះ​ទេ។

ទាក់​ទង​ទៅ​នឹង​បញ្ហា​នេះ អ្នក​ជំនាញ​ផ្នែក​អភិវឌ្ឍន៍​សង្គម លោក​បណ្ឌិត កែម ឡី បាន​លើក​ឡើង​ថា ទោះ​បី​ជា​អ្នក​មាន​ជំនាញ និង​ចំណេះ​ដឹង​មួយ​ចំនួន មាន​ឱកាស​ចូល​បម្រើ​ការងារ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ស្ថាប័ន​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ក្ដី ប៉ុន្តែ​ពួក​គេ​ទាំង​នោះ​មិន​មាន​សិទ្ធិ​ក្នុង​ការ​ផ្ដល់​យោបល់ និង​សិទ្ធិ​ក្នុង​ធ្វើ​ការ​សម្រេច​ចិត្ត​ពេញ​លេញ​នោះ​ទេ ដោយ​សារ​តែ​ហេតុផល​នយោបាយ។

ទោះ​បី​ជា​យ៉ាង​ណា​ក៏​ដោយ ប្រជាពលរដ្ឋ​កម្ពុជា​នៅ​ក្នុង​រយៈពេល​ប៉ុន្មាន​ឆ្នាំ​ចុង​ក្រោយ​នេះ បាន​បញ្ជូន​កូន​ចៅ​ទៅ​សាលា​រៀន​មាន​សន្ទុះ​កើន​ឡើង ទោះ​បី​ជា​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា គុណភាព​នៅ​មាន​កម្រិត​ក្ដី។ លោក កែម ឡី បាន​បង្ហាញ​របាយការណ៍​ថា ក្នុង​ឆ្នាំ​២០១២ សិស្ស​ចាប់​ពី​បឋម​សិក្សា​ដល់​ថ្នាក់​វិទ្យាល័យ​មាន​ជាង​៣លាន​នាក់។ និស្សិត​នៅ​ថ្នាក់​ឧត្តម​សិក្សា មាន​ជាង​១០ម៉ឺន​នាក់។

ក្រុម​អ្នក​ជំនាញ​ខាង​អប់រំ បាន​ព្យាករណ៍​ថា ប្រទេស​កម្ពុជា​នឹង​មិន​មាន​សន្ទុះ​អភិវឌ្ឍ​គ្រប់​វិស័យ ពិសេស​វិស័យ​សេដ្ឋកិច្ច​បាន​លឿន​ទេ ប្រសិន​បើ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​មិន​យក​ចិត្ត​ទុក​ដាក់ និង​ធ្វើ​កំណែ​ទម្រង់​លើ​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ទេ​នោះ ពីព្រោះ​ថា សង្គម​មួយ​ត្រូវ​ការ​អ្នក​ប្រាជ្ញ អ្នក​មាន​មុខ​ជំនាញ​វិជ្ជាជីវៈ​ច្បាស់​លាស់ និង​អ្នក​ដែល​បង្កើត​គំនិត​ថ្មីៗ​ច្រើន នៅ​ក្នុង​សង្គម៕

Priest tried to warn of Cambodia's insanity

By Erika Colin
CNN


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (CNN) -- Francois Ponchaud was a newly ordained Catholic priest when he arrived in Cambodia in 1965 from a small village in France.
He was sent to do missionary work. But within a decade he would become a crusader against the worst genocide since the Holocaust.

"I was staying by the Cambodian people's side," Ponchaud said, "through the good and the sadness and the suffering."

When he arrived at age 26, Cambodia was a peaceful place: a bucolic land of villages, peasants, rice paddies and Buddhist monks. Ponchaud studied Cambodian history and Buddhism, became fluent in Khmer, made friends and immersed himself in the culture -- falling in love with the country and its people.

But the peacefulness was short-lived. By 1970, Cambodia was descending into chaos as the Vietnam War spilled across its borders. In the countryside, the Americans were carpet-bombing Vietcong outposts. In the capital, Phnom Penh, Washington was propping up a corrupt government.
From the jungles, a sinister and brutal communist rebel group called the Khmer Rouge was fighting to overthrow Cambodia's U.S.-backed regime.

On April 17, 1975, Phnom Penh fell to the Khmer Rouge. They began to reinvent Cambodia according to an insane blueprint. They emptied the cities, including some 3 million in the capital, forcing all the residents into the countryside -- and toward a dark future.
"As of noon, all the people started leaving," Ponchaud said. "Then I saw all my friends who were leaving. ... There were hundreds of thousands of people who were trudging along a few kilometers an hour. It was truly a staggering sight. Incredible." Watch Ponchaud describe the exodus from Phnom Penh »

Ponchaud was told to stay at the French Embassy, where thousands fleeing Phnom Penh desperately sought asylum. One of the few foreigners able to communicate with the Khmer Rouge, he spent days at the embassy gate, trying to negotiate. Watch Ponchaud discuss the significance of the embassy gate »

In the weeks that followed, the Khmer Rouge let him leave the embassy twice. Both times he searched for clues about what was happening in the country. But Phnom Penh was empty. Read a reporter's notebook of his journey through Cambodia's killing fields »
Ponchaud was expelled from the city in the last evacuating convoy, as the Khmer Rouge forced all foreigners onto trucks and out of the country. At the border, Ponchaud broke down, weeping.
"It was as though we had gone mad," he said. "We were getting out of a country of the living dead."
With the country sealed, the Khmer Rouge went about creating their new Cambodia -- and the killing began in earnest.

The Khmer Rouge envisioned a return to Cambodia's medieval greatness -- a "pure" nation full of noble peasant farmers.

For that, though, they had to purge everyone else: the rich, the religious, the educated, anyone from a different ethnic group.

"All those who were opposed to the government were killed," Ponchaud said. "And all those who didn't work quite hard enough were killed."
Hundreds of thousands were worked -- or starved -- to death. "Perhaps a good chunk -- a solid half -- died from sickness and lack of health care," he said.

By September 1975, Ponchaud was back in France and ready to resume his work. His missionary society in Paris asked him to keep track of events in Cambodia. He quickly became the "go-to" person for Cambodian refugees arriving from Thailand, and he began documenting their stories.
At first, Ponchaud had a hard time believing the accounts of execution, torture, deportation, forced labor and starvation. Read how a Khmer Rouge survivor is documenting the genocide
"They were burning villages ... sending people into the forest without giving them anything to eat," Ponchaud said. "It went beyond my wildest imagination."

Horrified, Ponchaud devised a plan to gather more information: A friend living on the Cambodian border would record and send him broadcasts from Radio Phnom Penh -- the official voice of the Khmer Rouge -- in which the government described its transformation of the country. Read a former Khmer Rouge member's account of the killings

Ponchaud found that the broadcasts substantiated the refugees' claims. As unbelievable as those claims were, the broadcasts told of the same policies. What the refugees were saying was true.
"I decoded the radio -- the official declarations. And then the refugees would give me the 'experienced' side. It matched up," he said. "On one hand, the ideology, and on the other, the lived experience." Watch Ponchaud describe how he was able to decode the Khmer Rouge ideology »
For months, Ponchaud gathered and documented information, repeatedly denouncing the Khmer Rouge. His testimonials appeared in the French press as early as October 1975.
He also wrote to the president of France and Amnesty International, and appeared before the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. Watch Ponchaud discuss his efforts to alert people to the genocide »

In 1976, angered by inaccuracies in Le Monde's reporting on the Khmer Rouge, Ponchaud fired off a letter to the newspaper's editor -- along with a dossier of refugee accounts and radio transmissions. He was contacted immediately and asked to write for the newspaper. His articles were published in February 1976. Watch Ponchaud tell the Le Monde story »
Though few accounts of Cambodia's nightmare were appearing in the press, the U.S. government was receiving frequent briefings about what was happening there. In a meeting in November 1975, then-Secretary of State Henry Kissinger acknowledged the brutality of the Khmer Rouge. But he also knew that they shared an enemy with the U.S. -- Vietnam.

"Tell the Cambodians that we will be friends with them," Kissinger told an official in the region, according to a declassified State Department account. The Khmer Rouge "are murderous thugs," he said, "but we won't let that stand in our way." Read Kissinger's words in the declassified State Department document (pdf)

By 1977, the Khmer Rouge had been in power for two years, and much of the world remained unaware or uninterested. Many who did hear accounts of Khmer Rouge brutality found them hard to believe. Even prominent liberals and intellectuals doubted that a supposedly egalitarian peasant movement would perpetrate such horrors on their own people.

Ponchaud then published a startling book called "Year Zero." It was one of the first to expose the brutal totalitarian regime of the Khmer Rouge to the world. Still, no help came for Cambodia.
"I was pretty frustrated," he said. "The governments did not react. You know, countries don't defend human rights. They are always subservient to politics."

In January 1977, the inauguration of President Jimmy Carter promised a change. Carter vowed to put human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. But it would take 15 months for him to publicly condemn the Khmer Rouge as the world's "worst violator of human rights."
Even then he took no action to stop the slaughter. Invasion, he said, was not an option for a country still recovering from the Vietnam War.

Instead, in December 1978, Vietnam invaded Cambodia after years of cross-border skirmishes. The Vietnamese quickly overthrew the Khmer Rouge, who fled back into the jungle.
The world would finally start to see that all Ponchaud had said was true. More than 2 million Cambodians were dead. The scope of the catastrophe quickly became clear. In the fall of 1979, Carter responded, raising $32 million to help the refugees.

Today, Ponchaud is back in Cambodia, continuing his efforts for the Cambodian people, building schools, holding Mass and working on local projects. Often referred to as "the friend of the Cambodians," he is considered an expert on the country. But this time he has no illusions.
"No one defends human rights," he said. "Governments are cold beasts looking out for their own interests."

Degrees Are Earned, Not Sold

By Susan Long | Adjunct Professor, South University

There is an old saying that, “Education is the only purchase people make where they complain if they get too much for their money.”  Although everyone can complain about something relative to higher education, in my opinion, the largest problem today is the decline in the level of education provided compared to 20 or 30 years ago.  We, as educators, have allowed the students to determine how much education is enough in any given course.  We have also, in many cases, allowed grade inflation which, to some extent, has fueled the decline in the level of instruction.

Thirty years ago the volume and depth of material covered in an introductory class was much greater than it is today.  Students complain if they are required to research and write a 20 page paper written in proper English with proper punctuation. The common complaint heard is, “This is not an English class.” We, as professors, have coddled our students, given them grades they did not truly earn, and written them recommendations they did not deserve.  We do all of this for several of reasons. First, the student goes away happy and we have less hassle.  Second, if the students go away we can get back to our research which will earn us a raise and promotion while teaching gets us neither. Third, the department head/dean gets no complaints and therefore believes all is well. Fourth, it is easier.
We need to make students more responsible for their education.

 We need to give only grades that are truly earned and we need to have the guts to tell a student, “I cannot write you a glowing recommendation because you did not perform well in my class and that is the only basis I have for recommending you.”  These are not fun things to do and they do not lead to raises and promotions.  But, if we are to provide quality education we need to begin doing these things again.

We also must stop being afraid that our students will say we are not fun in class.  In this light, however, we must be sure that we speak coherent English, cover the material in full, and keep it from being boring.  We need to accept that those students who do assimilate most of what we try to teach will use only what we provide. The students will sleep during class if it is boring or not attend class at all.  And, most of all, if we bore them to death, we need to know they will not learn

Because this country has decided that everyone is entitled to a college education, we have bent over backwards to make it possible for all students to get a college degree.  That should not be what we do.  We should agree that everyone who wishes has an opportunity to earn a college degree.  However, we should not provide college degrees to those who do not earn it.  There is a huge difference between providing an opportunity to earn a college degree and ensuring that everyone who wishes gets a college degree

We need to ensure that students take more responsibility for their education. What happened to telling the students, “Look to your right and look to your left, only one of your will be here on graduation day.”  Yes, as an entering freshman that was a scary message. But, it did encourage the students to take responsibility for their education and degree.  It also let the faculty and staff know that it was okay to fail a student who is not producing.

Both faculty and students have to stop believing that because a student enters college, they are entitled to a degree.  We need to provide valid and interesting information.  We need to grade what is appropriate and we need to admit that not everyone who enters college will earn a degree.  We also need to remember that degrees are supposed to be earned and not sold.

Main Campus and Continuing Education: Together Again

By Ken Coates | Canada Research Chair in Regional Innovation, University of Saskatchewan

Nowadays there is a shadow over post-secondary education in Canada. Most people who work and teach at universities feel the pressure: insufficient institutional funds, over-crowded classrooms, difficulties with students’ transitions to university and—more seriously—to the workforce after graduation, questions about the relevance of academic research and teaching, and many other issues and problems that reflect a growing disconnect between the university and its many constituencies. And, alarmingly, the situation is likely to get significantly worse in the coming decade. One section of the university, however, is in a position to show what can be done in lean times.

Continuing education units, once held up by institutions as critical to universities’ connections with their communities, have also faced difficulties in the last decade. Financial shortfalls have meant that traditional academic pursuits of research, teaching and graduate supervision have been funded at the expense of less central functions. The continuing education enterprise has often responded by generating a greater share of its own funding. This, in turn, has made these units more engaged, more pro-active and much more market savvy than the much more conservative disciplinary-based departments. In the long run, this process of compulsory self-reliance and entrepreneurship might well end up serving both the continuing education sector and the universities as a whole extremely well.

Academic entrepreneurship has typically not flourished in the Canadian academy. The most high profile practitioners—business schools—are often flush with cash and contacts, but have trouble being fully accepted on campus. Continuing education units, in contrast, have campus-wide responsibilities, are able to draw on expertise wherever they find it at the university, and have community-wide outreach capabilities. Moreover, these units have, of necessity, developed the market awareness and cost-recovery mentality that must inevitably become the hallmark of the university system as a whole.

If continuing education divisions were wise, they would carefully but aggressively integrate their operations across campus as widely as possible. If the universities as a whole were equally wise, they would be reaching out to the continuing education units for advice, guidance and educational partnerships.

Continuing education units have some of the best, if not the best, off-campus connections, market-based programming, and entrepreneurial cultures within contemporary Canadian universities. The national university system urgently needs a healthy dose of these same elements. If Canadian universities do not learn how to communicate with their local and regional audiences, if their programming is not more responsive to local economic opportunities and challenges—and if cost-recovery, fee-for-service programming is not expanded dramatically—the traditional university functions will soon find themselves short of cash and largely detached from the citizenry.
At present (at least in my experience at Canadian universities) continuing education divisions have allowed themselves to become too separate from the rest of the academic enterprise. This is perhaps by necessity, as they are often the only units on campus that have to fund a large portion of their salaries and expenses from “profitable” course, workshop, training and program activities. They do, nonetheless, hold a crucial key to the revitalization of the Canadian university system.

Where traditional academic departments can be aloof and inwardly focused, continuing education reaches out. Where the academy, in general, runs with an entitlement mindset, continuing education has learned to flourish through entrepreneurship and responsiveness. Where universities are slow moving, programmatically conservative and largely unresponsive to a fast changing economic and social reality, the successful continuing education divisions are fast-acting, creative and attentive to market needs.

The biggest question, however, is how to ensure that mutual learning and mutual respect emerge in the coming years. When the base budget cuts came to many continuing education units in Canada, the traditional departments rarely rushed to their defense. Now, as the traditional departments feel the budget squeeze and worry how to bridge the relevance gap, it is hardly surprising that the continuing education enterprise does not see it as its responsibility to rush to help.

Both sides of the divide need to appreciate that the pace and direction of societal change around post-secondary education is going to bring them closer and closer together. The client-based department of the university is going to want more and more of their academic programming in continuing education-type packages. Career-ready training is rapidly taking over from traditional academic preparation.

The university world is shifting. Continuing education, having been pushed to the margins of the academy and forced substantially to fend for itself, will be drawn increasingly into the middle of the campus. After all, the institution needs its expertise, community awareness and academic entrepreneurship in order to attract students, public support and government investment. It appears likely that the university will have to adjust significantly to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.

Continuing education units can and must play a lead role in outlining the possibilities, processes and pedagogy of working with people where they are, rather than assuming students will simply adapt to campus realities. Done properly, the next decade can see the expansion of continuing education and the transformation of traditional academic programs and delivery models. Done poorly, both the continuing education units and the universities themselves will suffer severely.

Citizen journalism is a moral responsibility

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Ou Banung

 

As technology develops, our world is getting smaller. News from one continent to the other can be passed on in seconds.

In the past, getting news took months. The news agenda was set by professional journalists. But now, everyone who knows how to write and take photos can be a citizen journalist. But what is a citizen journalist and what do they do for society?

Keo Chan Sopheap is a university student who posts many pictures to her Facebook page and writes about them – does that make her a journalist? “Personally, I love taking photos. I’m always taking photos everywhere I go, as well as writing down words that show my opinion on them,” she said.

The established media makes use of people like Keo Chan Sopheap to make news reports and radio shows. Pen Samithy, editor in chief of Rasmey Kampuchea newspaper, says that ABC Cambodia is a great example of a citizen journalist talk show.

Its makers use networks of people around the Kingdom to collect news - not professional journalists. “The advantage of making this show is that we get news quickly and transparently, which is rare among other media sources," said Samithy.

Businesswoman Leng Ni Mol listens to ABC everyday. She said: “When I listened to ABC, I was told that there was a traffic accident along the way to a province. A moment later, I heard that someone was arrested because of the show. It’s not just accidents, but other issues like people who lose their children, or find an unidentified child – they can announce it on the radio. Citizen journalists can have a very positive impact in their countries.”

Professional journalists are not able to be everywhere, and locals can report the news faster. But how effective and accurate are the reports from citizen journalists? And what challenges do they face?

Samithy says that citizen journalism is a new, exciting concept for Cambodia but there are some drawbacks. “There are not many people who completely understand it yet.” But there are some limitations”, she added.

Citizen journalists have no training on how to report news accurately. There are also legal obstacles – there is nothing stopping people reporting unethically, or libeling others.

Lots of people post pictures and share news on social media unaware that their actions could have legal consequences. Siv Meng, who uses Facebook in this way, said: “I just post and share news that I find interesting and useful. I post it publicly on my wall but I have no idea that I could face trial because of it.”

Professional journalists can be punished for illegal behaviour by the Ministry of Information but there is no law that covers citizen journalists yet. Still, citizen journalists may fall foul of other criminal laws, according to Samithy.

LIFT suggests that the citizen journalist should clearly and publicly identify himself. Those who like to post on Facebook or other social media networks to comment and critique should do so on group pages but not in public, in case it causes problem for the writer or the person he criticizes.

Pornography viewing on the rise among youths

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Menghourng Ngo

 

Since the internet was introduced in Cambodia, pornography has become much more widely available and accessible.

Now, young Cambodians have been caught watching pornography in class on mobile phones, prompting education experts to call for better sex education provision in schools.

One 17 year-old boy, a student at a high school in Phnom Penh said: “I watched video sex in the class via my mobile phone because I was bored with my teacher. He was teaching alone, and he did not know what I was doing since I took a book to hide my mobile phone. I’m not the only one who was doing it.”

“We weren’t shy about it! A big group of boys watched it, and the girls watched it in their own group too.”

Another 19 year-old girl, who studies at a private university in Phnom Penh, said that the boys in her class always watch pornography on their mobile phones and sometimes throw it to the girls to watch.

I wrote a research thesis on the subject which found that most Cambodians use mobile phones rather than computers to watch porn as they’re small and portable.

Some of my interviewees said that watching porn increased their sexual desire. Many could control it, but some said they sought out prostitutes – which could put them at risk of contracting HIV/AIDs and other STIs. Previous studies like World Vision Cambodia’s reports in 2005, 2006 and by Child Welfare Group in 2003 came to the same conclusion.

Moa, 22, a male high school student in Phnom Penh said he sent violent pornography to friends via Bluetooth. He also showed them new websites where they could download porn, and sent pictures to female classmates.

“I loved watching violent video porn and wanted to practice it too. It made me feel excited,’ he said. “I lied to my parents that I needed money for studying in order to get $5 or $10 to have sex with prostitutes.”

Pung Chhivkek, president of Licadho and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) said the country needs proper sex education.

“School is a place for students to study, not to watch porn. The Ministry of Education should make a strict rule to punish those students,” she said. “The teachers should be careful. They should ask students to put all electronic tools on the desk.”

“Our country should have sex education that will educate Cambodian youths in order to prevent all immoral activities,” she added.

Thoung Kep Bunnate, planning officer at Phnom Penh Municipal Department of Education said that the Ministry has not yet created sex education programs as much of Cambodian society retains conservative attitudes towards sex.

“We just introduce sex education program step by step rather than suddenly make it otherwise, Cambodian youth will be too overjoyed like it’s suddenly Valentine’s Day. We want to add sex education to the education about the morality of society,” just insert fickle sex education to education about morality of society,” he said.

“We have to educate and announce about this issue widely. We cannot ban youth from using pornographic material because it is their rights, but we can minimize the utilization of those supply via verbal of teachers,” he said.

Somchan Sovandara, a university lecturer in Phnom Penh, stressed that it was a minority of students who watched pornography in class. Most played games and looked at celebrity photos, he said.

“During my class, I collected all of the electronic material from my students in order to make them to concentrate on my lessons. If there is something strange, I go to check up in order to prevent students from viewing pornography in the class.”

University students covet media studies

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Ven Sakol

 

Media is the backbone of our interpretation of the world, whether in rich or developing countries. This is why we notice that bachelor degrees in Media and Communication are very popular among students in university.

The Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP) began teaching media and communication courses in 2001. Since then, private universities have also started teaching in this field. As the result in 2012, we can find out that not only RUPP but also Limkokwing University of Creative Technology in Cambodia and Pannasastra Univercity of Cambodia (PUC) have this major in their course study.

It has been over 3 years that PUC had been providing Communication and Media Arts (MCA) and named as the last university in Cambodia that educates students in this field, according to Mr. Raymond, dean and professor of Media and Communication Arts at PUC.

He adds, “We just started but we focus on the quality; as the result, the number of students increases 50 percent per year, which is very interesting to us.”

Speaking slowly but surely, Mr. Raymond remarks that there were only two students in the first generation, but the number reached to 55 students in the last generation, while the two seniors is going to graduation Bachelor of Media and Communication Arts at the end of this year.

PUC has divided MCA into three majors: mass media, business for communication, and interpersonal communication. Mass communication can guide way for students to be spokesmen, journalists, or TV program producers. On the other hand, business for communication is for those who want to specialize in marketing, create advertisement, or work as public relation. For interpersonal communication, students will be able to work for social development, community service, or other NGOs.

Students studying MCA at PUC cangain not only knowledge from theories but also experience from practical by internship. Mr. Raymond explains, “At least, students have to complete an internship before graduated. It is a good chance for them to show their ability in working field by using the theories from school.

All in all, he gives some comments to students: “There are more available jobs for those who are knowledgeable at Media and Communication Skills. So, you have to find a place where you can gain both quality and profession for your own future.”

Professional skills needed for ASEAN 2015

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Sen David

 

The Ministry of Labour is launching a new training program to prepare Cambodians to compete in the integrated ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) slated to come into being in 2015, ministry officials said yesterday.

The “Skills Bridging Program” will offer training in standard professional skills to youth in grade levels seven through nine across the country.

“Many youths across the country are dropping out of school and taking jobs without finishing their education, so they do not have skills comparable with workers in other countries,” Pich Sophan, secretary of state at the Labour Ministry, said yesterday.

“This worries us, because our country will face job competition with other ASEAN countries starting in 2015. We hope that this new program will make us competitive in the ASEAN job market. We have enough human resources and do not want to see other ASEAN labourers overwhelm our country.”

Sophan said that of Cambodia’s seven million current workers, a full 50 per cent dropped out of school at the primary level. Rural areas, where standards of living are generally lower, have especially high dropout rates.

Ouk Davany, director of the Technical Standard Institute, said the Skills Bridging Program should prepare these students to work in the fields of electronics, car repair and construction.

He noted that currently “most students want to study subjects that involve office work, but do not seem to focus on professional technical training, which means that other countries have an edge”.

Statistics reveal job risks for beer promoters

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Shane Worrell and Mom Kunthear

 

Malis, not her real name, appears forlorn as she describes what her daughters go through to secure tips from their customers.

The young women, promoters for a major beer company, reluctantly spend their nights getting drunk on their own product – it’s what customers demand and can be the difference between the promoters earning tips and leaving their restaurants empty-handed.

Malis would know – she sells for the same beer company.

“I very much pity my daughters for following me into this work, but what can I do?” the 42-year-old says.

Getting drunk may be only a weekly or monthly pleasure for the customers, but for the women who serve them in restaurants, beer gardens and karaoke venues, it can be a full-time job – 27 nights a month.

“Every night, I have to talk to clients and persuade them to drink my beer,” Malis says. “I have to force myself to drink with the clients because it’s the only way they will buy it – I can’t avoid it.”

According to Ian Lubek, adjunct professor of psychology at the University of Guelph in Canada, about 85 per cent of 1,660 Cambodian beer promoters he has surveyed between 2004 and 2012 regularly drink at work.

“Our research shows that beer promoters are consuming on average 1.5 litres of beer per night – that’s six glasses of beer, 27 nights per month,” Lubek says.

Research Lubek conducted in 2002 showed that the average beer promoter made US$55 per month, but had monthly living expenses of about $110.

Women were drinking with customers and offering sexual services as a way of making up the difference – ensuring they could provide for their children or send money to their provincial families.

According to Lubek’s most recent study, conducted this year, the promoters’ average monthly wage has climbed to $75, but expenses have grown even faster, to about $180 per month.

“[Now] they’re averaging a BAC or blood-alcohol content of .05. They’re basically drunk every night,” Lubek says.

“Overuse of alcohol at such a high rate leads to liver disease. Also, women aren’t told not to drink when they’re pregnant.”

Major companies involved in Cambodia’s beer industry including Carlsberg (an owner of Angkor Beer) and Heineken (an owner of Anchor, ABC and Tiger) established Beer Selling Industry Cambodia (BSIC) in 2006.

Included in a code of conduct it released were commitments to increase education for beer promoters, scrap demeaning uniforms, provide contracts and crack down on sexual harassment.

To address drinking, the COC specifies that beer promoters “should not” drink with customers.

According to the BSIC Monitoring Report 2011, authored by Indochina Research, there is a marked difference between the conditions of beer promoters employed by BSIC companies and those working for non-BSIC companies.

The report, based on monthly interviews of beer promoters last year, says 61 per cent from BSIC companies never drank with customers, while 38 per cent sometimes did.

Only 31 per cent of beer promoters from companies not part of BSIC never drank with customers, while 56 per cent sometimes did, the report claims.

Vo Thi Mai Trang, public relations and communications manager for Carlsberg Indochina, says the number of beer promoters drinking in Cambodian workplaces has decreased dramatically since BSIC was formed.

“And this is thanks to [the] BSIC Code of Conduct (COC) as well as the intensive training that we provided to our [beer promoters],” she says, adding that Carlsberg’s beer promoters are the highest paid after two pay increases last year.

John-Paul Schuirink, a spokesman for Heineken International, says promoters who sell his company’s beer are also well paid.

“The current average base salary . . . is $92 per month for a 30-hour working week. A 10 per cent increase was implemented this year. [It] compares favourably to the average income in Cambodia,” he says.

Schuirink says his company recognises the risks associated with beer promotion, which is why it founded BSIC and banned workers from drinking.

“Research shows that the beer promoters working for Attwood [a distributor for the company in Cambodia] have the highest rate of awareness and compliance with this rule,” he says.

Heineken’s priority was preventing alcohol use during working hours by giving training and information about its consequences, Schuirink adds.

“Besides that there is medical assistance available in case of problems,” he said.

Lubek, however, believes the COC has been largely ineffective.

“Statistics don’t show any improvement in the amount of beer drunk in the workplace . . . our research shows that company health education, if any, may come six to 12 months after they begin working . . That’s too late to prevent HIV/AIDS and alcohol dependence.”

One company not affiliated with BSIC, the Phnom Penh Beer Company, says its workers are “not encouraged” to drink.

“We don’t want them to drink because we want them to maintain their dignity . . . It also looks bad for the company if they drink,” a spokesman says.

When asked if the company provides health services for workers battling alcohol addiction, he says, “No, we don’t have any problems like that.”

Kingdom Breweries, also not affiliated with BSIC, says it no longer has beer promoters, but would not elaborate.

Dave Welsh, country director of the American Center for International Labor Solidarity, says beer companies need to do much more to ensure their promoters’ rights are protected.

“There’s a real health issue with unregulated drinking,” Welsh says. “It’s an unhealthy environment to work in, frankly.”

Offering beer promoters a wage that covered their monthly expenses is something beer companies should consider, he says.

“The amount of profits that are flowing back, not just to Angkor or Anchor, but to world-famous breweries like Carlsberg gives them a lot of leverage.”

Carlsberg is, however, taking positive steps toward establishing a memorandum of understanding that could improve conditions for its workers, Welsh adds.

Phol Sophea, deputy director of the Cambodian Food and Service Workers’ Federation (CFSWF), in Siem Reap province, believes some progress is being made to improve conditions for beer promoters, but problems such as drinking remain.

“Many workers have problems with physical health,” Sophea says.

“I ask them to visit the health centre, a service the companies provide free of charge. “But there is no support from the companies if a beer promoter becomes dependent on alcohol.”

CFSWF advises its members to tell customers that drinking on the job will make them sick.

“But some clients just don’t listen,” Sophea says. “So if the women don’t sit and drink beer with clients, they won’t sell their products and they won’t have any tips.

“The clients are kings to them, because they have money.”

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To contact the reporters on this story: Shane Worrell at shane.worrell@phonmpenhpost.com
Mom Kunthear at kunthear.mom@phnompenhpost.com

Exam cheating rampant: report in Cambodia

 

A recent study showed that about 55 per cent of students used their mobile phones to cheat in high-school exams. Photograph: Will Baxter/Phnom Penh Post

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Chhay Channyda

 

National High School Exam candidates each spent an average of 120,000 riel – about US$30 – on bribes over this year’s two-day testing period to secure exam answers, according to independent research released yesterday.

Social researcher Kem Ley’s report Turning a Blind Eye purported that 92 per cent of students were involved in bribery or cheating during the exam, which is conducted under the supervision of high- school proctors, teachers and police officials.

“We also see that 55 per cent of answers were copied from their hand phone after the answer was made and sent around by email,” Ley said, noting social media site Facebook had emerged as a popular means to cheat during this year’s exams, which took place on August 6 and 7.

“However, while this is a self-formed habit to bribe the [exam supervisors], this year there was a bit of improvement compared to last year,” he said, pointing to more diligent monitoring of exam rooms by police officials as stemming the amount of exam answer cheat sheets physically used by students.

The 40-page research findings from interviews with 157 students will be sent to the Ministry of Education and government development partners UNESCO and UNICEF next week, Ley told the Post, in a bid to put pressure on the government to reform the education system.

For Ley, the solution lies in improving the quality and ethics of teachers and exam invigilators through appropriate remuneration or up to $150 per day during the exam period.

Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teacher Association, agreed that exam irregularities greatly diminished the quality of the education system in Cambodia.

“It isn’t a new thing. Although it was quieter around exam rooms this year, that is because they are copying via email and Facebook,” Chhun said.

He added that if the government did not deal with the quality of education in Cambodia, it could not produce a competitive labour force for the 2015 ASEAN integration.

Sam Sereyrath, general director at the Ministry of Education, said the research was a somewhat “small sample”, so it was incapable of evaluating the whole high-school exam.

“The result would have been much more positive if he had interviewed more,” he said.

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To contact the reporter on this story: Chhay Channyda at channyda.chhay@phnompenhpost.com

 

អំពើ​ពុករលួយ​នៅ​តែ​កើត​មាន​ខ្លាំង​ក្លា​ក្នុង​ពេល​ប្រឡង​បាក់​ឌុប​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

ឆាយ ច័ន្ទនីដា

ភ្នំពេញៈ អំពើ​ពុករលួយ​សូក​លុយ​គ្រូ​ ដើម្បី​បាន​បើក​ចម្លង​ចម្លើយ​វិញ្ញាសារ​ដោយ​សេរី នៅ​តែ​កើត​មាន​ខ្លាំងក្លា នៅ​ក្នុង​មណ្ឌល​ប្រឡង​ មធ្យម​សិក្សា​ទុតិយភូមិ បាក់​ឌុប​ ដែល​បាន​ក្លាយ​ជា​«ទម្លាប់»​ រវាង​សិស្ស និង​គ្រូ​អនុរក្ស​តាម​បន្ទប់​ប្រឡង ​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​អ្នក​វិភាគ​គិត​ថា បើ​គ្មាន​កំណែ​​ទម្រង់​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​ឲ្យ​ទាន់​ពេលវេលា​ទេ​ នោះ​សមត្ថភាព​យុវជន​កម្ពុជា នឹង​មាន​ការ​ប្រឈម​ខ្លាំង​ នៅ​ក្នុង​សមាហរណកម្ម​អាស៊ាន​ឆ្នាំ​ ២០១៥ ខាង​មុខ។
របាយការណ៍​ឯករាជ្យ​ មួយ បាន​រក​ឃើញ​ថា​ ក្រុម​យុវជន​ ជា​សិស្សា​នុសិស្ស​ ប្រឡង​បញ្ចប់​ថ្នាក់​ទី​ ១២​ ប្រព្រឹត្ត​ទៅ​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ទី ៦-៧-៨ ខែ​សីហា​នេះ ដែល​មាន​ចំនួន​សិស្ស​ ១១៤ ៤១៤​ នាក់  ក្នុង​នោះ​មាន​ ៩២ ភាគរយ បាន​នាំ​គ្នា​រៃលុយ​គ្នា​ ក្នុង​បន្ទប់​ប្រឡង ឲ្យ​គ្រូ​អនុរក្ស ​ដោយ​គ្មាន​ការ​ជំរិត​នោះ​ឡើយ​ ហើយ​គ្រូ​ក៏​ទទួល​យក​ដែរ​ ដោយ​ធ្វើ​ជា​មិន​ដឹង​មិន​ឮ​ បើក​ដៃ​ឲ្យ​សិស្សច​ម្លង​គ្នា​ដោយ​សេរី​។

ការ​សិក្សា​ ដែល​ធ្វើ​ដោយ​ក្រុម​លោក កែម ឡី ជា​អ្នក​ពិគ្រោះ​យោបល់​ និង​ស្រាវ​ជ្រាវ​ឯករាជ្យ​ផ្នែក​សង្គម ចេញ​ផ្សាយ​កាល​ពី​ថ្ងៃ​ចន្ទ ក្រោម​ចំណង​ជើង​ថា «មិន​គួរ​ធ្វើ​មិន​ដឹង» បាន​សម្ភាស​សិស្ស​ប្រឡង​ថ្នាក់​ទី ១២ ចំនួន​ ១៥៧ នាក់ ព្រម​ទាំង​មាតា ​បិតា​សិស្ស និង​គ្រូ​អនុរក្ស​ ប្រមាណ ៥០ នាក់​ផ្សេង​ទៀត ដោយ​រក​ឃើញ​ថា​៖ «ជា​មធ្យម​ បេក្ខជន​ប្រឡង​ ត្រូវ​ចំណាយ​ ១២ ម៉ឺន​រៀល ទៅ​ឲ្យ​គ្រូ​អនុរក្ស​ ក្នុង​រយៈ​ពេល​ប្រឡង​ពីរ​ថ្ងៃ​កន្លះ​។ ៧៧.៧ ភាគ​រយ រាយការណ៍​ថា ពួក​គេ​អាច​ចម្លង​ចម្លើយ​ពី​គ្នា​ទៅ​វិញ​ទៅ​មក»។ ការ​សិក្សា​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​នេះ បាន​រក​ឃើញ​មូល​ហេតុ​ ដែល​នាំ​ឲ្យ​សិស្ស​ប្រមូល​លុយ​ជូន​អនុរក្ស គឺ​ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​គ្រូ​ផ្តល់​ឱកាស​ ឲ្យ​ពួក​គេ​បាន​ចម្លង​គ្នាគឺ​មាន​ប្រមាណ​៥៤​ភាគ​រយ​។

​លោក កែម ឡី បាន​ប្រាប់​ភ្នំពេញ ​ប៉ុស្តិ៍​ថា ជា​ទូទៅ​ស្ថានការណ៍​ប្រឡង​បាក់​ឌុប​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ មាន​ភាព​ប្រសើរ​ជាង​ឆ្នាំ​មុន​ដោយ​មាន​កម្លាំង​សមត្ថកិច្ច​ យាម​កាម​តឹង​តែង និង​មិន​មាន​ការ​បោះ​ឯកសារ​ចម្លើយ ចូល​បន្ទប់​ប្រឡង​រញ៉េ​រញ៉ៃ ដូច​ឆ្នាំ​មុនៗ​ឡើយ។
ទោះ​យ៉ាង​ណា ​លោក​ថា ​អ្វី​ដែល​កត់​សម្គាល់​ខ្លាំង​ គឺ​សិស្ស​បាន​នាំ​គ្នា​យក​ទូរស័ព្ទ​ស៊េរី​ទំនើប​ ចូល​បន្ទប់​ប្រឡង ដើម្បី​ទាក់ទង​តាម​សារអេឡិច​ត្រូនិក ឬប្រព័ន្ធ​បណ្តាញ​សង្គម​ ហ្វ៊េស​ប៊ុក​ ឲ្យ​អ្នក​នៅ​ខាង​ក្រៅ​ សរសេរ​ចម្លើយ​ឲ្យ​ហើយ​ផ្ញើ​មក​វិញ។

 លោក​ថ្លែង​ថា ៖ «ភាគ​ច្រើន​ ៥៥ ភាគ​រយ បាន​ឆ្លើយ​ថា គាត់​ចម្លង​(ចម្លើយ)​ចេញ​ចូល​តាម​ទូរស័ព្ទ​ដៃ​។ គាត់​ថា ​ភាគ​ច្រើន​គេ​ថត​វិញ្ញាសា ធ្វើ​តាម​អ៊ីមែល​ បញ្ចូន​ឲ្យ​គេ​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ ហើយ​ផ្ញើ​តាម​អ៊ីមែល​មក​វិញ​។ ទោះ​គ្រាន់​បើ​ជាង​មុន ប៉ុន្តែ​ចំណុច​ខ្លះ​ ក្លាយ​ជា​ប្រពៃណី និង​ទម្លាប់​ទៅ​ហើយ គឺ​ពេល​ប្រឡង​ ត្រូវ​តែ​ប្រមូល​លុយ​ឲ្យ​គ្រូ ទោះ​គ្រូ​មិន​បាន​បង្គាប់​ក៏​ដោយ​»។

នា ​សប្តាហ៍​ក្រោយ​នេះ ឯកសារ​លម្អិត​ ប្រមាណ​ពី​ ៣០​ ទៅ ​៤០ ទំព័រ​នឹង​ត្រូវ​បញ្ជូន​ទៅ​កាន់​ក្រសួង​អប់រំ​យុវជន​និង​កីឡា និង​អង្គការ​ដៃ​គូ​ជាតិ​ អន្តរជាតិ ជា​ពិសេស​អង្គការ​យូនី​សែហ្វ និង​យូណេស្កូ ដែល​ធ្វើ​ការ​ពាក់ព័ន្ធ​នឹង​ការ​លើក​ស្ទួយ​គុណ​ភាព​អប់រំ​ ដើម្បី​ឲ្យ​ភាគី​ទាំង​នោះ​ យក​ទៅ​ពិចារណា និង​ធ្វើ​ការ​«ដាក់​សម្ពាធ​ដល់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល ​ឲ្យ​មាន​ការ​ផ្លាស់​ប្តូរ»។
លោក កែម ឡី បាន​ផ្តល់​អនុសាសន៍ ដល់​រដ្ឋាភិបាល​ឲ្យ​បង្កើន​ប្រាក់​ឧបត្ថម្ភ សម្រាប់​គ្រូ អនុ​រក្សឲ្យ​បាន​ពី ១០០ ទៅ​ ១៥០ ​ដុល្លារ​ សម្រាប់​គ្រូ​ម្នាក់ ក្នុង​រយៈ​ពេល​ប្រឡង ២ ថ្ងៃ​កន្លះ ដែល​សព្វ​ថ្ងៃ គ្រូ​ទាំង​នោះ ទទួល​បាន​ប្រមាណ​ពី ៥០ ទៅ ​៧៥ ដុល្លារ​ប៉ុណ្ណោះ ហើយ​ត្រូវ​ធ្វើ​កិច្ច​សន្យា​ជាមួយ​គ្រូ​ទាំង​នោះ​ ទើប​គ្រូ​មិន​អាច​ហ៊ាន​ទទួល​សំណូក​ពី​សិស្ស។ លើស​ពី​នេះ​ ត្រូវ​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​សិស្ស​ខិតខំ​បង្កើន​សមត្ថភាព​ខ្លួន​ឯង​ ដើម្បី​គុណភាព​អប់រំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា។
របាយការណ៍​នេះ ត្រូវ​បាន​ស្វាគមន៍ ដោយ​លោក រ៉ុង ឈុន ប្រធាន​សមាគម​គ្រូ​បង្រៀន​កម្ពុជា​ឯករាជ្យ ដែល​ក៏​បាន​រក​ឃើញ​ពី​ភាព​មិន​ប្រក្រតី​ជាច្រើន​ ក្នុង​ការ​ប្រឡង​នេះ​ផង​ដែរ​។ លោក​ថ្លែង​ថា៖ «នេះ​មិន​មែន​ជា​រឿង​ថ្មី​ទេ ទិដ្ឋភាព​ឆ្នាំ​នេះ មាន​ភាព​ស្ងប់ស្ងាត់​តែ​នៅ​ខាង​ក្រៅ​ តែ​ខាង​ក្នុង​មាន​ភាព​អាក្រក់​ជាង​ឆ្នាំ​មុន​ខ្លាំង​ណាស់​ ព្រោះ​គេ​ធ្វើ​តាម​ប្រព័ន្ធ​អេឡិចត្រូនិក មាន​ទូរស័ព្ទ​ដៃ​ថត​ដាក់​ហ្វេស​ប៊ុក។ មាន​មណ្ឌល​ខ្លះ ធ្វើ​វិញ្ញាសា​លក់​ឲ្យ​បេក្ខជន​ទៀត​ផង​»​។ លោក​បន្ត​ថា បើ​រដ្ឋាភិបាល មិន​គិត​គូរ​ពី​គុណភាព​អប់រំ​ ឲ្យ​បាន​ឆាប់​ទេ​នោះ គុណភាព​អប់រំ​នៅ​កម្ពុជា នឹង​មិន​មាន​អ្វី​ប្រកួត​ប្រជែង ពេល​ដែល​កម្ពុជា ធ្វើ​សមាហរណកម្ម ចូល​ទៅ​ក្នុង​សហគមន៍​អាស៊ាន​ឆ្នាំ​ ២០១៥​នោះ​ទេ​។ សមាគម​គ្រូ​បង្រៀន​ ក៏ត្រៀម​ចេញ​នូវ​របាយការណ៍​ នៃ​ភាព​មិន​ប្រក្រតី ក្នុង​ការ​ប្រឡង​មធ្យម​សិក្សា​ទុតិយភូមិ​ក្រោយ​ពី​ការ​ប្រកាស​លទ្ធផល​នៃ ការ​ប្រឡង​នៅ​ចុង​ខែ​នេះ​។

លោក សំ សេរីរតន៍ អគ្គ​នាយក​អប់រំ នៃ​ក្រសួង​អប់រំ​ យុវជន​និង​កីឡា ថ្លែង​ថា លោក​បាន​ពិនិត្យ​មើល​ឃើញ​ថា ការ​ស្រាវ​ជ្រាវ​មួយ​នេះ ​នៅ​មាន​ទំហំ​តូច​ និង​មិន​អាច​វាយ​តម្លៃ​បាន​នូវ​ស្ថានការណ៍ នៃ​ការ​ប្រឡង​បាក់ឌុប​ទាំង​មូល​នោះ​បាន​ឡើយ។ លោក​និយាយ​ថា៖ «​នេះ​ជា​របាយ​ការណ៍​ល្អ។ គាត់​បាន​វាយ​តម្លៃ​ថា​ មាន​ភាព​យុត្តិធម៌​ ៦០ ភាគរយ​ តែ​គាត់​ធ្វើ​តែ​ជាង ​១០០ នាក់​ មិន​តំណាង​ឲ្យ​ទាំង​អស់​ជាង ១១ ម៉ឺន​នាក់​នោះ​ទេ បើ​គាត់​ធ្វើ​ច្រើន(សម្ភាស) ច្រើន​ជាង​នេះ​លទ្ធផល​អាច​ប្រសើរ​ច្រើន​»។ លោក​បន្ត​ថា៖​«​ភាព​អាក្រក់​(ក្នុង​ការ​ស្រាវជ្រាវ​)នេះ​ មិន​ធ្ងន់ធ្ងរ​ទេ ព្រោះ​ក្រសួង​បាន​កែប្រែ​ច្រើន​ហើយ តែ​ការ​សិក្សា​នេះ អាច​ជួយ​មួយ​ចំណែក​ដែរ ដល់​វិស័យ​អប់រំ​យើង»៕

For more information, please check his official report at https://docs.google.com/file/d/1RNxFa10KMN0ASDukye7lp2CLHTLLmk7-I_BL1aLBtdPYva9WfmDA5uXLHpEK/edit

Facebook Inc នឹង​ប្រឈម​សម្ពាធ​កាន់​តែ​ខ្លាំង​ថែម​ទៀត

Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Bloomberg

 

 ក្រុង​មេនឡូផាកៈ ភាគ​ហ៊ុន​របស់​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន Facebook Inc ដែល​បាន​ធ្លាក់​ចុះ​ដល់​តម្លៃ​ទាប​បំផុត​ បន្ទាប់​ពីអ្នក​ខាង​ក្នុង​ក្រុមហ៊ុន (insider) អាច​លក់​ភាគហ៊ុន​ជា​លើក​ទីមួយ ចាប់​ពី​ការ​បោះ​ផ្សាយ​ IPO ​មក​នោះ នឹង​ត្រូវ​ប្រឈម​នឹង​សម្ពាធ​កាន់​តែ​ខ្លាំង​ថែម​ទៀត នៅ​ពេល​ភាគ​ហ៊ុន​ចំនួន ១,៤៤​ពាន់​លាន​ហ៊ុន​ផ្សេង​ទៀត ត្រូវ​បាន​លក់​ចេញ​រហូត​ដល់​ខែ​វិច្ឆិកា។
កាល ​ពី​សប្តាហ៍​មុន ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​ Facebook  បាន​លក់​ចេញ​ភាគហ៊ុន​ចំនួន ២៧១,១​លាន​ហ៊ុន ដែល​ជា​ការ​លក់​ចេញ​លើក​ដំបូង​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​ការ​រឹត​បន្តឹង​ការ​លក់​ចេញ​ ចំនួន ៥ ដែល​ត្រូវ​ធ្វើ​ក្នុង​អំឡុង​ឆ្នាំ​ទីមួយ​ក្នុង​នាម​ជា​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​សាធារណៈ។

ខណៈ ​លោក Mark Zuckerberg អគ្គនាយក​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន Facebook  កំពុង​ប្រតិបត្តិការ​សេវា​បណ្តាញ​សង្គម​មួយ​នោះ ​លោក កំពុង​ប្រឈម​នឹង​ក្តី​បារម្ភ​របស់​ក្រុម​វិនិយោគិន​ថា​តើ​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​នេះ អាច​រក​ប្រាក់​ចំណូល​បន្ថែម​ដោយ​របៀប​ណាពី​មូលដ្ឋាន​កំណើន​អ្នក​ប្រើ​ប្រាស់ ​សេវា​សង្គម​នេះ​។ ក្តី​បារម្ភ​នោះ រួម​ទាំង​ការ​បញ្ចប់​រយៈ​ពេល​បម្រាម​លក់ភាគ​ហ៊ុន​ចេញ​ (lock-up) លើក​ទីមួយ បាន​ជំរុញ​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ភាគ​ហ៊ុន​របស់​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន​នេះ បាន​ធ្លាក់​ចុះពាក់​កណ្តាល​មក​នៅ​ត្រឹម ៣៨​ដុល្លារ​ និង​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​តម្លៃ​ទីផ្សារ​របស់​ក្រុមហ៊ុន​នេះ ធ្លាក់​ចុះ ៤៦​ពាន់​លាន​ដុល្លារ។ ​

លោក Herman Leung អ្នក​វិភាគ​ប្រចាំ​ក្រុម​ហ៊ុន Susquehanna International Group ថ្លែង​ថា​៖​ «​តើ​នេះ​គឺ​ជា​អ្វី​ដែល​គ្មាន​ភាព​អត់ធ្មត់ ឬ​ជា​អ្វី​ដែល​វិនិយោគិន​គួរ​តែ​ព្រួយបារម្ភ​? ត្រូវ​ហើយ តែ​ចំពោះ​ក្រុម​វិនិយោគិន​រយៈ​ពេល​វែង​វិញ ខ្ញុំ​យល់​ថា នេះ​គឺជា​ឱកាស​ដ៏​ល្អ​មួយ​ដើម្បី​ទិញ​ភាគហ៊ុន ដែល​មាន​តម្លៃ​ទាប​បែប​នេះ»៕ BP