Cambodia to Unveil PISA 2025 Results Amid $1 Billion Education Budget for Reforms

PHNOM PENH, Sept 7, 2026 (KPT) — Cambodia is scheduled to release the results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2025 this week. Concurrently, the government has allocated approximately $1 billion for the education sector in its 2026 budget, signaling a strong commitment to reforms. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport will unveil the findings on September 8, accompanied by a public forum to discuss the new budget. This allocation represents 16.8 percent of the national current expenditure. Nearly 80 percent of the budget is earmarked for personnel costs, with the remainder designated for school operations, scholarships, meal programs, preschools, infrastructure repairs, and youth development. Furthermore, around 40 percent of the budget will be transferred to local administrations to bolster education services at the sub-national level. Cambodia first joined the OECD’s PISA programme in 2022 and participated again in 2025. The assessment evaluates the skills of 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics, and science. Officials anticipate that the PISA 2025 findings will serve as a crucial guide for reforms in curricula, teacher training, and school governance. The government aims to ensure that investments in education yield stronger learning outcomes through the implementation of performance-based budgeting.