Private educational institutions, both at the primary and secondary levels, have announced that they will not increase tuition fees for the next academic year.

The move comes as the country has seen an increase in youth enrollment in vocational and technical training programs, following recent high school exam results last week.

In response to a request from Prime Minister Hun Manet, the Cambodian Higher Education Association (CHEA) – which brings together 141 member institutions – and the Federation of Educational Services of Cambodia (FESC) – which represents 120 private schools – have agreed to maintain current tuition fees. They are also considering the possibility of reducing tuition fees for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Manet expressed gratitude for the decision to freeze tuition fees and highlighted the government’s continued support for the education sector through consistent policies aimed at providing relief to private educational institutions.

These initiatives aim to ease financial pressures on universities, schools, parents, guardians and students. Support measures include income tax exemptions, minimum tax reductions and other tax reductions for the period 2024-2028.

Chhort Bunthang, education and cultural affairs specialist at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, said freezing school tuition fees complements the government’s tax exemptions and is appropriate, given that Cambodia and the world continue to face economic difficulties after the pandemic.

He believes this commitment will help students from low-income families access higher education and called on all private schools to honor their commitments.

He also pointed out that while some private universities have offered scholarships to high-ranking officials who then passed them on to students in need, these students still face high administrative fees, which often prevent them from continuing their studies. .

“Higher education institutions and universities should fully implement what they have agreed and avoid promises that sound good but are not in practice,” Bunthang commented, emphasizing that even well-established regulations and policies defined have sometimes been poorly implemented in the past.

Last week, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports announced the results of the 2024 high school exams, with a pass rate of 79 percent among more than 100,000 candidates.

While those with financial means can pursue higher education and students who pass the exam with good grades can receive scholarships, young people from modest backgrounds are encouraged to enroll in vocational training under the of a program announced by the government in November 2023. The initiative aims to provide opportunities to a total of 1.5 million young people.

Katta Orn, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, told the Post that as of November 1, almost 70,000 disadvantaged and vulnerable young people had registered for training, including 26,266 women. Of these, 12,755 completed their studies and 3,593 obtained employment.

Orn also noted an increase in applications for vocational training over the past week, following the announcement of high school exam results, although final figures have not yet been compiled.