Teachers Demand Higher Wages

Teachers Demand Higher Wages

 Thursday, 06 October 2016

The Cambodian Independent Teacher Association (CITA), along with about 100 teachers from various provinces, gathered at Freedom Park in Phnom Penh yesterday to mark International Teachers’ Day and demanded the government further increase their minimum wage to at least $370, not including additional bonuses.

CITA acting director Ouk Chhayavy said the government needed to be aware that teachers were struggling to get by on their current salaries, with some being forced to take second jobs to survive.

“The government should pay attention to teachers’ livelihoods and make it a priority. They need to increase their salary and other bonuses to help them live properly,” she told reporters, adding that low wages have also resulted in teachers’ sacrificing morals and good work ethics as they were unhappy in their current situation.

Apart from an increase in the minimum wage, CITA also demanded that the government take legal action to curb corruption at all levels of education institutions and also called on the Education Ministry to improve the overall quality of education in Cambodia.

Cabinet representative Kong Chamroeun and Education Ministry representative Han Divin were present to accept a petition from CITA. The group had initially intended to march from Freedom Park to the Education Ministry, however their request was not approved by Phnom Penh City Hall.

Seng Thavireak, a teacher from Chea Sim Boeung Keng Kang high school, echoed CITA’s sentiment, saying the minimum wage needed to exceed $370 for teachers to be able to live comfortably and support their families, more so in the face of the rising cost of living.

“So far, we get very little and we cannot live easily as we need to spend more on gasoline and other things every month,” he said, adding that teachers should also receive additional allowances of at least $9 to support their families.

A retired teacher from Pursat province also called on the government to increase the retirement pension to at least $130 so that older teachers need not work despite having retired.

“Normally, the pension of 350,000 riel [about $85] is too little and this is not enough for us to live. We have to work as farmers to get by,” Pal Bunna told reporters.

The Education Ministry will celebrate the 2016 Teachers’ Day with the theme “Teachers are the one who shape the students’ future” at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia on Sunday.

Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday announced that the minimum wage for teachers is set to exceed $230, not including additional bonuses, come April next year. He added that teachers in select rural areas will also get a local bonus of $19, $24 or $29.

Mr. Hun Sen had in March pledged to bring the teachers’ minimum wage up to $250 by 2018.

The ruling Cambodian People’s Party has made improving the country’s education system a mainstay of its reform agenda in a bid to win votes.