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I find myself wondering if I asked the average adult Cambodian "What's 8 X 7?" what percent of them could give me the right answer? Is it 25%? Is it 70%? I really have no idea.

Are there certain things they spend more time learning in school than we'd expect or less time learning in school than we'd expect? How does the typical elementary or high school curriculum differ from what we'd have in Western countries? I mean for local schools, not the fancy international schools. What do they learn all day in the local schools? Would a Cambodian who finishes high school at a local school have been exposed to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Khmer History, World History, etc.?

Wanker Wat wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 12:25 pm I find myself wondering if I asked the average adult Cambodian "What's 8 X 7?" what percent of them could give me the right answer? Is it 25%? Is it 70%? I really have no idea.

If you asked them in Khmer most of them would know. However, some people do use calculators for what we may consider easy to do in your head.

Wanker Wat wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 12:25 pm Are there certain things they spend more time learning in school than we'd expect or less time learning in school than we'd expect? How does the typical elementary or high school curriculum differ from what we'd have in Western countries? I mean for local schools, not the fancy international schools. What do they learn all day in the local schools? Would a Cambodian who finishes high school at a local school have been exposed to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Khmer History, World History, etc.?

They learn much less than students learn in Western countries. For example, if you get a map of the world and ask them where Cambodia is, many of them dont know.

Wanker Wat wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 12:25 pm I find myself wondering if I asked the average adult Cambodian "What's 8 X 7?" what percent of them could give me the right answer? Is it 25%? Is it 70%? I really have no idea.

Are there certain things they spend more time learning in school than we'd expect or less time learning in school than we'd expect? How does the typical elementary or high school curriculum differ from what we'd have in Western countries? I mean for local schools, not the fancy international schools. What do they learn all day in the local schools? Would a Cambodian who finishes high school at a local school have been exposed to Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Khmer History, World History, etc.?

I know multiplication. 8x7 =56. If you have other math question let me know

Until a few years ago, those who paid bribes passed exams. and those who didnt pay bribes failed. The focus was not on learning, it was on paying bribes. There are still some people paying bribes in some situations.

A few years ago a law was introduced, saying if anyone takes a bribe with the year 12 final exam, they will go to prison. They have a number of people supervising each exam, so if anyone was to receive a bribe the others would see it. Now Cambodia is adjusting to the idea of students passing the exam based on results.

The new approach is for teachers not to teach everything in regular classes. Students need to go to extra classes to learn enough to pass the exams. So instead of paying bribes, they now pay teachers for extra classes.

Wanker Wat wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 12:25 pm Americans learn much less than students learn in Western countries. For example, if you get a map of the world and ask them where any other country is, many of them dont know.

FTFY

I teach Maths at grades 1 to 5 and we work from a British curriculum, so, in my case, at my school and at the grades I teach, there isn't much difference between what they learn here and what kids learn in the UK, including multiplication, fractions, division etc...

As with all classes all over the world, there are those students who are a bit too advanced for what I teach and find it a bit too easy, and there are those who struggle a bit more, but I wouldn't say Khmer kids are any more or less intelligent than anywhere else. As for what happens after grade 5, I've no idea.

**EDIT** Sorry, I just read your post again and you're asking about local (I assume you mean government run) schools. As for that, I've no idea.

You're on a roll today Gav. Is it boring in Laos? Go see the Plain of Jars or something.

"The new approach is for teachers not to teach everything in regular classes. Students need to go to extra classes to learn enough to pass the exams. So instead of paying bribes, they now pay teachers for extra classes."

Nonsense, it's not new at all. It's been going on since Christ was a corporal in God's army. The locals call it 'rien kua."

xandreu wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 1:51 pm I teach Maths at grades 1 to 5 and we work from a British curriculum, so, in my case, at my school and at the grades I teach, there isn't much difference between what they learn here and what kids learn in the UK, including multiplication, fractions, division etc...

As with all classes all over the world, there are those students who are a bit too advanced for what I teach and find it a bit too easy, and there are those who struggle a bit more, but I wouldn't say Khmer kids are any more or less intelligent than anywhere else. As for what happens after grade 5, I've no idea.

In schools run by westerners, which have western teachers, they normally learn a lot more than students at Cambodian schools.

Brody wrote: ↑Sat Jan 26, 2019 1:55 pm You're on a roll today Gav. Is it boring in Laos? Go see the Plain of Jars or something.

He should be in Kampot.