Education Management Reform Strategies for Enhancing the Quality Citizenship in Cambodia

Abstract

This research study aimed to 1) study the conceptual framework of education management reform and the quality citizenship; 2) study the current and desirable state of education management reform for enhancing the quality citizenship in Cambodia; 3) find out the needs in education management reform for enhancing the quality citizenship in Cambodia; 4) develop education management reform strategies for enhancing the quality citizenship in Cambodia. This study employed the research and development method (R&D). The data were collected from 710 respondents, consisting of 10 education policymakers, 30 Directors of MoEYS departments, 80 school administrators, 150 teachers, 80 School Support Committee members, 300 students and 60 other stakeholders. Following the preliminary data analysis, 51 experts and stakeholders were invited to individually validate the first draft of education management reform strategies. Another 14 Cambodian experts and stakeholders were invited to focus group discussion to validate the second draft of education management reform strategies. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the formula of PNI modified was also used to find out the priority need of education management reform. The findings revealed that 1) The first priority need in education management reform for enhancing quality citizenship in Cambodia was education financial management reform, while administrative and general management reform was the second priority , academic management reform for quality citizenship was the third priority, and personnel management reform was the forth priority. 2) The education management reform strategies for enhancing quality citizenship in Cambodia consist of 4 main strategies and 12 sub-strategies, which are prioritized by the PNI modified as follows: (1) Education financial management reform for quality citizenship consists of the following three sub-strategies: (1.1) Increase financial autonomy and accountability of schools for quality citizenship; (1.2) Conduct education budget audit for quality citizenship; and (1.3) Linking budget to education policies for quality citizenship; (2) Administrative and general management reform for quality citizenship consists of the following three sub-strategies: (2.1) Ensure community involvement in school management for quality citizenship 2.2) Implement school-based management for quality citizenship and (2.3) Education policy and education strategic plan for quality citizenship; (3) Academic management reform for quality citizenship consists of the following three sub-strategies: (3.1) Conduct regular assessment of students for quality citizenship; (3.2) Improve teaching methods for quality citizenship; and (3.3) Integrate good citizenship into school curriculum and textbooks for quality citizenship; and (4) Personnel management reform for quality citizenship consists of the following three sub-strategies: (4.1) Provide INSET training, focusing on teaching methods and mentoring program for quality citizenship; (4.2) Increase teacher PRESET qualifications for quality citizenship; and (4.3) Implement teacher performance assessment for quality citizenship.