Cambodia Enacts Royal Decree on Teacher Cadre to Enhance Educational Staff Quality

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports has promulgated a new Royal Decree on the Teacher Cadre, aiming to fundamentally reform personnel management in the education sector and enhance the quality of educational staff. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Hang Chuon Naron, stated that the Royal Decree on the Teacher Cadre enhances the value of educational staff by establishing a single cadre type, 'Type A' (Bachelor's degree or equivalent and above). This cadre is structured into three levels: Higher Education Teacher, Basic Education Teacher, and Primary Education Teacher. Each cadre level comprises three ranks and fourteen grades. Deputy Prime Minister Hang Chuon Naron made these remarks during the opening ceremony of a workshop disseminating the 'Royal Decree on the Teacher Cadre' held on the morning of July 21st. The 'Royal Decree on the Teacher Cadre' was developed based on the current situation in Cambodia's education sector, public service, and socio-economic development. It aims to effectively support the management of civil servants in the education sector, promote the provision of high-quality, efficient, equitable, and inclusive educational services, and respond to socio-economic needs. Deputy Prime Minister Hang Chuon Naron added that this Royal Decree marks a new turning point in the governance of the education sector, shifting from fragmented management to a unified system for building strong human capital for Cambodia's future. The decree also consolidates and manages educational personnel, including both civil servant and non-civil servant staff, to ensure consistency and quality at both national and sub-national administrative levels. The Minister of Education further stated that the Royal Decree defines and strengthens the responsibilities of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports regarding the management authority of the Teacher Cadre. It also specifies two types of positions within the Teacher Cadre: professional positions and managerial positions. This opens the way for clear job descriptions and qualifications for each position, as well as defining the selection process for entering the Teacher Cadre, which will be conducted in two ways: (1) selection through training to enter the Teacher Cadre, and (2) selection for integration into the Teacher Cadre, to align with the actual situation. Hang Chuon Naron specified that the Royal Decree on the Teacher Cadre encourages and attracts qualified candidates to serve as civil servants in the Teacher Cadre by offering appointments to cadres and ranks according to their diploma level, such as: A.3.3 (Bachelor's), A.3.2 (Master's), and A.2.2 (Doctorate). It also expedites the appointment procedures for civil servants in the Teacher Cadre at both national ministries/institutions and sub-national administrations, to be decided by decrees from the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports. Furthermore, it mandates the continuous capacity development of educational personnel in the Teacher Cadre, requiring valid professional teaching certificates and participation in professional orientation courses through pedagogical training and essential orientation. It also clarifies job transfers and allows for changes in cadre type within the Teacher Cadre (between Higher Education Teachers, Basic Education Teachers, and Primary Education Teachers). The Minister of Education added that the Royal Decree clearly and appropriately defines the conditions for transferring civil servants from the Teacher Cadre to other professional cadres and for transferring civil servants from other professional cadres into the Teacher Cadre. It also outlines the promotion of ranks and/or grades in accordance with implementation and annual budget plans, and annual budget laws for personnel expenditures. It further incentivizes civil servants in the Teacher Cadre who voluntarily adhere to the principle of deploying personnel to work in remote areas, areas with health impacts, or hazardous zones through rank and/or grade promotions. It clearly defines disciplinary and ethical conduct, as well as various existing regulations that educational personnel in the Teacher Cadre must respect and implement. Deputy Prime Minister Hang Chuon Naron explained that the Royal Decree on the Teacher Cadre adjusts the mechanism for retirement or loss of professional qualifications for civil servants in the Teacher Cadre, to be decided by Royal Decree, Sub-decree, or Ministerial Decree from the Ministry of Public Function, or by order from sub-national administration, depending on the position level. It also encourages current civil servants in the Teacher Cadre who are working in teaching, research, or management roles in educational and training institutions and public units, and who meet the appropriate qualification requirements, to be integrated into the new cadre, ranks, and grades in accordance with the provisions of this Royal Decree. The post Royal Decree on the Teacher Cadre Enhances the Value of Educational Staff by Establishing a Single Cadre Type, 'Type A' appeared first on Kampuchea Thmey Daily.