Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

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phuketrichard
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by phuketrichard »

BOOKS!!!
i am a very avid reader BUT have switched to ebooks cause i just cant afford, nor find many books i desire to read>
got my daughter into reading as a young child, all holidays thats what she got for presents and to this day still reads
I never see wifes nieces/nephews / relatives ever pick up a book. Its all about the phone
In a nation run by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile and the rest of us are fucked until we can put our acts together: not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely. HST
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Kammekor
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by Kammekor »

phuketrichard wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:45 am BOOKS!!!
i am a very avid reader BUT have switched to ebooks cause i just cant afford, nor find many books i desire to read>
got my daughter into reading as a young child, all holidays thats what she got for presents and to this day still reads
I never see wifes nieces/nephews / relatives ever pick up a book. Its all about the phone
In their defense.... It's pretty hard to find entertaining/ interesting stories in Khmer language.
Tootsfriend
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by Tootsfriend »

Kammekor wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 11:07 am
phuketrichard wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:45 am BOOKS!!!
i am a very avid reader BUT have switched to ebooks cause i just cant afford, nor find many books i desire to read>
got my daughter into reading as a young child, all holidays thats what she got for presents and to this day still reads
I never see wifes nieces/nephews / relatives ever pick up a book. Its all about the phone
In their defense.... It's pretty hard to find entertaining/ interesting stories in Khmer language.
It's also hard for them to scribble on a page or rip out a page on ebook.
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Clutch Cargo
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by Clutch Cargo »

I see bribe and corruption mentioned a number of times.

Just want to put an alternate point of view and don't necessarily want to push a case for one or the other. Certainly, if I put my western hat on, it does look like that. On the hand, as is often the case in not just Cambodia but Asia, there is a system of 'tea money' for want of a better word.

Perhaps I can give an example. I recently required urgent papers from a public office. I asked my landlord to assist to smooth the process for me to translate plus he has some contacts. Anyway, and perhaps fearing I would come to the same suspicion as the OP, I thought he rather diplomatically explained it to me by saying 'think of it as a gift for extra service' (or he might have said 'donation').

This is hard I guess for many of us who are used to the notion of mostly standard or no fees for certain public services such as schooling. Yet, when I last renewed my passport, there was a standard fee and a 'priority' one. And whilst tipping for service is not normally expected in Aus, as I understand it, it is very much expected for certain services in the US. Perhaps not so similar but makes one think..

Is it all that different in the end? Depends on your perspective I guess as to what you consider normal and acceptable where you live.
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by ego bibere nimis »

Freightdog wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:43 pm
Phnom Krom wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:52 pm Hypothically of course, should one be in the position to be demanded to pay teachers money, is that ok? normal? Acceptable and normsl because what? Becauause the govt here doesn't pay fair wages? Becauase proper schools cost 10,000 pluu per kid. Because the elite class doesn't care about their peoples? Because other govts are tired of the demands of the patrisrchy to support oppression and srervitude of the masses to uplift their progeny?
Should I pay and shut up?
Is this a question about augmenting a teacher’s salary with a little extra money?
Or something of an emotive soap box rallying cry?
Both are worthy, but maybe not quite so mixed together.
Cracks me up when people complain about the quality of public education when they don't actually pay taxes in this country.
You know that tingly little feeling you get when you really like someone? That's common sense leaving your body.
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by Tootsfriend »

ego bibere nimis wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:32 pm
Freightdog wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:43 pm
Phnom Krom wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:52 pm Hypothically of course, should one be in the position to be demanded to pay teachers money, is that ok? normal? Acceptable and normsl because what? Becauause the govt here doesn't pay fair wages? Becauase proper schools cost 10,000 pluu per kid. Because the elite class doesn't care about their peoples? Because other govts are tired of the demands of the patrisrchy to support oppression and srervitude of the masses to uplift their progeny?
Should I pay and shut up?
Is this a question about augmenting a teacher’s salary with a little extra money?
Or something of an emotive soap box rallying cry?
Both are worthy, but maybe not quite so mixed together.
Cracks me up when people complain about the quality of public education when they don't actually pay taxes in this country.
So the government gets all their money of a '' money tree ''.? I think you would be surprised at how much tax there is on all the items you buy especially imported items . A tax is a tax no matter who or how it is paid.
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by ego bibere nimis »

Tootsfriend wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:33 pm
ego bibere nimis wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:32 pm
Freightdog wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:43 pm
Phnom Krom wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:52 pm Hypothically of course, should one be in the position to be demanded to pay teachers money, is that ok? normal? Acceptable and normsl because what? Becauause the govt here doesn't pay fair wages? Becauase proper schools cost 10,000 pluu per kid. Because the elite class doesn't care about their peoples? Because other govts are tired of the demands of the patrisrchy to support oppression and srervitude of the masses to uplift their progeny?
Should I pay and shut up?
Is this a question about augmenting a teacher’s salary with a little extra money?
Or something of an emotive soap box rallying cry?
Both are worthy, but maybe not quite so mixed together.
Cracks me up when people complain about the quality of public education when they don't actually pay taxes in this country.
So the government gets all their money of a '' money tree ''.? I think you would be surprised at how much tax there is on all the items you buy especially imported items . A tax is a tax no matter who or how it is paid.
Who said anything about a money tree????? Tax on goods and services in Cambodia represent 60% of total tax revenue only.

In addition, despite how many years I have lived here, I am a guest in this country- I don't hold a Cambodian passport, so I tend not to complain about how the government run (or don't run) things. Their circus, their monkeys. If I did hold a Cambodian passport then yeah, I would definitely be whinging about how they spend their taxation revenues.
You know that tingly little feeling you get when you really like someone? That's common sense leaving your body.
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Kammekor
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by Kammekor »

ego bibere nimis wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 6:59 pm
Tootsfriend wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 4:33 pm
ego bibere nimis wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:32 pm
Freightdog wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:43 pm
Phnom Krom wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:52 pm Hypothically of course, should one be in the position to be demanded to pay teachers money, is that ok? normal? Acceptable and normsl because what? Becauause the govt here doesn't pay fair wages? Becauase proper schools cost 10,000 pluu per kid. Because the elite class doesn't care about their peoples? Because other govts are tired of the demands of the patrisrchy to support oppression and srervitude of the masses to uplift their progeny?
Should I pay and shut up?
Is this a question about augmenting a teacher’s salary with a little extra money?
Or something of an emotive soap box rallying cry?
Both are worthy, but maybe not quite so mixed together.
Cracks me up when people complain about the quality of public education when they don't actually pay taxes in this country.
So the government gets all their money of a '' money tree ''.? I think you would be surprised at how much tax there is on all the items you buy especially imported items . A tax is a tax no matter who or how it is paid.
Who said anything about a money tree????? Tax on goods and services in Cambodia represent 60% of total tax revenue only.

In addition, despite how many years I have lived here, I am a guest in this country- I don't hold a Cambodian passport, so I tend not to complain about how the government run (or don't run) things. Their circus, their monkeys. If I did hold a Cambodian passport then yeah, I would definitely be whinging about how they spend their taxation revenues.
You may be a guest, I'm pretty sure OP's kid is a citizen. :hattip:
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Jerry Atrick
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by Jerry Atrick »

ego bibere nimis wrote: Tue Aug 16, 2022 3:32 pm
Freightdog wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 7:43 pm
Phnom Krom wrote: Mon Aug 15, 2022 6:52 pm Hypothically of course, should one be in the position to be demanded to pay teachers money, is that ok? normal? Acceptable and normsl because what? Becauause the govt here doesn't pay fair wages? Becauase proper schools cost 10,000 pluu per kid. Because the elite class doesn't care about their peoples? Because other govts are tired of the demands of the patrisrchy to support oppression and srervitude of the masses to uplift their progeny?
Should I pay and shut up?
Is this a question about augmenting a teacher’s salary with a little extra money?
Or something of an emotive soap box rallying cry?
Both are worthy, but maybe not quite so mixed together.
Cracks me up when people complain about the quality of public education when they don't actually pay taxes in this country.
I have paid my share of tax over the years here. Most people with employment contracts are paying tax also. Maybe you are not. I wouldn't presume to know.

Anyhow I didn't send my kids to public school because it's fucking shite

So they go private, which while streets better is still not amazing but it will have to suffice for a few more years
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Re: Paying Khmer Public School bribes. Worth it?

Post by Phnom Krom »

Appreciate the comments. Hope our insights can help beyond just the contributors.

Agree it is not much money to "donate", just a shame the govt pays so poorly and doesn't see the value in Cambodia's future. UYFC comes to mind. The next leader leads and espouses such banter about the future youth. Walk the ealk...not so much.

Even with private subsidies, the teachers and school still skip class and my kids share how important the teachers birthdays and other family excuses justify last minute or zero notice of class cancellations for 50 families a pop. Hard to work for general folks that work but with no notice, have to upend everything in their lives to accomodate a random birthday for the "teacher".
I still see no extra value that donations will have on the endemic patheticness.

I teeter between eliminating Khmer completely. Hence my dodo comment yesterday.

Homeschooling is working well. I have very limited hope for Khmer public education. It must be private or at least supplented with extra tutors. It is hard enough doing the English, maths, and other stuff.

To each their own. No choice really. Land of lawlessness has its pros and cons.

For the record. Cambodia is awesome.
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