Quality Control on the Teaching of "A History of Democratic
Kampuchea (1975-1979)" in Pailin and Banteay Meanchey
Provinces
Khamboly DyThe Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) and theCambodian Ministry of Education1 held a quality control evaluation in Pailin and Banteay Meanchey provinces on 20-27 February
2011. An evaluation team (Team) consisting of two DC-Cam staff members (Mr. Khamboly Dy and Mr. Sovann Morm) and two officials from the
Ministry of Education (Ms. Neang Beng and Ms. Piseth Neary Seng) undertook the evaluation exercise. The Team observed seven classes and held
twenty-two interviews with teachers, students, School Directors, officialsof the Provincial Offices of Education and former Khmer Rouge cadres. At
the end of each classroom observation and evaluation, the Team provided
feedback and recommendations for improvement to the observed teachers
and School Directors who in turn agreed to exert more efforts at ensuring a proper and wider teaching of Khmer Rouge history in their respective
schools.
Evaluation Activities
The Team undertook a number of activities in Pailin and Banteay Meanchey
provinces during the period of evaluation. Table 1 shows a summary of theevaluation activities done.
Table 1. Summary of evaluation activities
Quality control project objectives•••

Evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching of A History of
Democratic Kampuchea (Democratic Kampuchea history
textbook).
Evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching materials: (1) A
History of Democratic Kampuchea as history textbook, (2)Teacher’s Guidebook and (3) Student Workbook.
Evaluate the integration of Khmer Rouge history into thedaily regular teaching in schools.

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H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i c(Continued) Table 1. Summary of evaluation activities
Means of evaluation•••

One-hour class observation
Interview
SurveyTools for evaluation

•
•
•
•

Classroom observation checklist
Questionnaire for teachers
Questionnaire for students
Interview questions

Types of school•

Schools in urban, rural and remote areas

Number of classes observed•

Seven (Bor Yakha Lower Secondary School, Hun
Sen Sala Kroa Secondary School, Phnom Yat Lower
Secondary School, Chhnour Meanchey Secondary
School, Hun Sen Mongkul Borei Secondary School,
Samdech Ov Secondary School, and Poi Pet Lower
Secondary School)

Average number of students per class•

Between forty and forty-five

Approximate number of students with textbook•

No student in Pailin has received the textbook, while
about forty percent of students in Banteay Meanchey
received the textbook

Approximate number of teachers with
Teacher’s Guidebook and Student Workbook

Only the teachers who participated in the DC-Cam training haveguidebook and student workbook on hand

Approximate number of students with student
workbook•

No student has received the student workbook

Pre-evaluation Activities
Before undertaking the evaluation activities, the Team discussed the projectwith officials of the Provincial Offices of Education to seek their collaboration and approval. The Team presented documents and evaluation tools tothe education officials and had them signed by the officials as proof of approval, a necessary measure that would ensure sincere cooperation from
School Directors. These meetings also allowed the Team to learn about theeducational situation in each province, the location of the schools the Teamwas going to observe, and information on the respective school officials andteachers.
In Pailin, the Team met with Mr. It Chea, Deputy Head of Pailin Officeof Education. Mr. Chea said that most people in Pailin were former Khmer
Rouge cadres with low education and were appointed to government positions including Provincial Governor, Deputy Governors, and Heads
and Deputy Heads of all provincial offices by the Royal Government ofQuality Control on the Teaching of “A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)”

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Cambodia for the sake of political stability and peace. But they have limited
capacity to oversee the general operation of the education system in theprovince. Though the current Head of the Provincial Office of Education isa newcomer from Phnom Penh, the former Head and one current Deputy
Head are former Khmer Rouge cadres.
According to Mr. Chea, some children of the Khmer Rouge cadres havereceived secondary school education and attended the teacher training
school in Battambang province since 2007. The children of former Khmer
Rouge cadres constituted twenty percent of the teachers, mostly in primaryschools and lower secondary schools. But few former Khmer Rouge cadres and their children have become teachers in upper secondary schools.
Most teachers of all levels in Pailin are from Battambang, Kampot, Banteay
Meanchey and Takeo provinces. The total number of students in Pailin currently reaches over nineteen thousand. The table below shows the ten-year
growth (2001 to 2011) of the number of teachers in Pailin.
Year

Total number of teachers

Female teachers

2001

133

32

2002

162

40

2003

185

64

2004

223

89

2005

299

107

2006

352

129

2007

396

147

2008

441

159

2009

497

163

2010

552

184

2011

596

210

The extended interview of teachers and school officials who were former Khmer Rouge cadres or children of the former Khmer Rouge cadresfacilitated the gathering of insights on how the project can be more effectively implemented at the school level. Mr. Choub Sambat, a Deputy Headof Pailin Office of Education, initially refused to talk until he learned about
DC-Cam and the textbook. He was a former middle-ranking Khmer Rouge
cadre in Phnom Penh in late 1970s.

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Evaluation Results
Overall, the respondents (teachers, students, education officials and residents in the provinces visited) agree that teaching and studying Khmer
Rouge history in a formal classroom setting is important in preventing thereoccurrence of such atrocities in the future. Although about eighty percent of residents in Pailin province are former Khmer Rouge cadres and theprovince itself was a Khmer Rouge stronghold until 1996, most interviewed
teachers, students, and residents see the teaching of Khmer Rouge history
in schools in a positive light. Mr. Mei Makk, former personal adviser to Pol
Pot and currently Deputy Governor of Pailin, suggested that, “we should
study [Khmer Rouge history in order] not to allow it to [happen] again, [and]second to see the real extent of the crimes. I agree to have it forever.” Basedon the Team’s observation, the children of former Khmer Rouge cadres in
Pailin, constituting more than half of the student population, maintain good
relations with the other students and show positive attitude toward learning
the Khmer Rouge history.
Evaluation of specific issues
The Team compiled a number of issues that affect the school system in general, and the teaching of Khmer Rouge history in particular. School officials
and teachers in the schools visited by the Team discussed these issues.
Some of these issues are discussed below in summarized form.
I. General Observations
a. Khmer Rouge legacy and the effect of war on general education
Emerging from war only from 1996, people in Pailin are still struggling
with illiteracy. Most interviewed teachers complain about the frequent absence of their students for a number of reasons. First, most parents who areformer Khmer Rouge cadres do not value education. They ask their children to help in the farm. Being a farming region, most people in Pailin plant
potatoes, beans and fruits to sell to Thailand. Even some well-off families
do not encourage their children to study. After finishing grade 12, children
are encouraged to engage in farming because it generates income. Second,
many students drop out of school or take one-year leave from school toQuality Control on the Teaching of “A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)”

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work in Thailand. The family’s economic difficulties force students to workin Thailand. They mostly do housework, plant rice, and work in factories.
Third, due to the border conflict between Cambodia and Thailand that led
to exchange of gunfire, some parents do not allow their children to come toschool. People have been traumatized by wars, conflicts and killings manytimes in the past. This trauma still affects them mentally. They do not want
to lose their family members again.
Knowledge that students want
Most of the time, teachers teach only those that are found in the textbooks. Teachers rarely use outside materials to enhance their teaching.
However, when teachers use K-W-L (What I Know, What I Want to Know,
and What I Learned) method, students raise many questions that the textbooks do not cover. In order to answer the questions in the W column,
teachers need broader knowledge and have to make use of outside materials. The content in the social study textbooks should be the foundation thatteachers can refer to for guidance, but not a doctrine that teachers cannot
deviate from. Students’ knowledge should not be confined to the content of
the social study textbooks.
Dealing with children of former Khmer Rouge cadres
In one school, teachers have difficulty educating the children of the former Khmer Rouge cadres. Some of these students are physically bigger than
the teachers. Probably due to their low education and low social morality,
they speak and behave arrogantly to the teachers. However, the teachers see
the problem as a challenge to overcome. They do not blame these students
considering their experience of living in the forest in the 1980s, fighting in
the war almost everyday, and running from place to place to deliver weapons to the Khmer Rouge armed forces (“mobile living”). At that time, thestudents lived with inadequate food and diseases without proper medical
treatment. Lacking proper education, they developed attitudes and social
practices that differ from the usual attitude and practice of others in thecommunity.
Appropriate method to fit the classroom situation
Tables and chairs that cannot be moved make group activities for students difficult. This is the situation facing the teachers in Chhnour Meanchey

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Secondary School. The teachers resort instead to making students work inpairs, which does not require moving tables and chairs. This method is seen
as effective, keeps order among students, and allows the classroom process
to proceed smoothly.
Teachers’ capacity
Schools in the remote areas do not have enough qualified teachers
to provide quality education. For instance, Hun Sen Sala Kroa Secondary
School does not have enough teachers who graduated from the university.
To cope with this problem, the school has to ask primary school teachers
to teach secondary school students. Mr. Kim Leng, the School Director,
said that when he arrived in 2000, the secondary school was located in the
primary school compound, and this strongly affected the quality of education. In 2003, he formed a secondary school committee and requested theMinistry of Education to provide a plot of land to build the secondary school
compound. A grant from the Asian Development Bank supported the construction of this secondary school. But the school still faces the lack of qualified teachers. In some cases, history teachers teach geography, which is nottheir expertise.
Lack of training and teaching materials
Mr. Kim Leng said that curriculums for grades 11 and 12 were changed
in 2011. However, teachers do not receive training on the new curriculums.
Teachers totally depend on the Teacher’s Guidebook. They ask each other on
the points that they are not clear about.
Teachers’ limited knowledge on Khmer Rouge history
Some teachers are happy to have team teaching in the classroom because this helps them answer political questions from the students. As observed, teachers possess limited knowledge on Khmer Rouge history andare not able to satisfactorily answer questions from students. Moreover,teachers dare not answer some political questions for fear of being blamedby higher education officials. Whatever the circumstance, students’ interestin studying Khmer Rouge history in schools depends mostly on teachers’
explanations. If teachers were not able to give clear answers, students would
not have further questions, and thereby cannot generate more interests.

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Young versus old teachers
Credibility in explaining the Khmer Rouge history to the students differs between young and old teachers. The young teachers explain the history
within the framework of the textbook while the old teachers explain it fromtheir personal experiences as the Khmer Rouge regime’s survivors. The oldteachers’ stories are very powerful in getting the interest, and satisfactorily
answering the questions, of the students.
The teachers’ living condition affects teaching
Most newly-recruited teachers have no proper place to live in. Many ofthem stay inside the classrooms, sleeping on the floor. Those who are a bit
better-off rent small houses and share rooms with several colleagues. The
teachers’ poor living condition lowers the students’ respect for them. Someteachers say that they are embarrassed being seen sleeping on the floor by
their students. These teachers complain that poor living condition and low
salary are the biggest problems for teachers. Teachers receive an average salary of sixty to one hundred US dollars per month. This hard living condition
discourages teachers from working for quality education. Some teachers
honestly admit that they would like the examination period to arrive soon
so they could sell materials that prepare the students for the examinations.
The Ministry of Education has banned this activity.
Some teachers focus more on private business activities that take awaytime for reading materials or doing research to enhance their knowledge
and expertise. Some teachers in Pailin also engage in farming. At the sametime, the schools do not have enough materials and core books to help theteachers. Some government textbooks are sent to schools (in the middle ofthe school year) without the corresponding teacher guidebooks. Teachers
have to use the old teaching materials they have on hand. As a result, students learn less.
On the other hand, the influence of modern technology and materialism on many students decreases their incentive to study. Some students playwith their cellphones and mp3s during study hours. In addition, students
skip classes to date fellow students in celebration of foreign holidays such as
Valentine’s Day and Christmas Day.
Cooperation between teachers and the villagers
Due to their problems, the teachers in Hun Sen Sala Kroa Secondary
School seek support from the people in the nearby communities whose chil-132

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i cdren study in the school. The villagers provide rice and other food to theteachers. Each student brings a can of rice each week for his or her teachers.
This support encourages teachers to stay in the school longer and have moretime to prepare lessons.
II. Observations of StudentsChildren of the former Khmer Rouge cadres express positive attitude toward studying Khmer Rouge history. They dislike the regime and do notwant to see the same atrocities happening in their country again. Moreover,they want to know the extent of suffering that Cambodian people enduredat that time. They believe that the regime was cruel and brought a lot of
hardship to the people. However, they also believe that their parents who areformer Khmer Rouge cadres are good people, and they do not want see any
friction among Cambodians. These students do not see their parents as former Khmer Rouge cadres, but simply as Cambodians. Some children of theformer Khmer Rouge cadres claim that they want to see more disseminationof Khmer Rouge history to the public.
Students in Hun Sen Mongkul Borei Secondary School in Banteay
Meanchey province show great interest in studying Khmer Rouge history.
A teacher, Mr. Bun Yoeung, teaches Chapter 3 of the textbook entitled “The
Khmer Rouge Come to Power.” He gives a bunch of questions to students
who spontaneously give their answers in return. Students are interested inthis chapter. Many students take turns to answer the questions. Some ofthem are able to summarize the whole chapter. Overall, students in his classunderstand considerably the historical and social contexts of the coming topower of the Khmer Rouge. At the end of the class, teachers ask the students
to ask questions. Their questions include: what were the relationships between the Khmer Rouge and China (referring to photos that show Chinese
advisers)? How could the Khmer Rouge win over the Khmer Republic?
Vietnam helped the Khmer Rouge, why did the two countries fight eachother later? Why did the Khmer Rouge kill intellectuals? Who created the
Khmer Rouge and for what purposes?
II. Integration of Democratic Kampuchea History Commentary
All teachers and School Directors agree that Khmer Rouge history should be
included in the Ministry of Education’s social study textbook so that teach-Quality Control on the Teaching of “A History of Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979)”

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ers are able to teach Khmer Rouge history in their classes on a regular basis.
Otherwise, teachers will extract part of A History of Democratic Kampuchea
textbook and integrate it into their teaching according to their will and available time. Teachers claim that too much integration will affect the programof the Ministry of Education that requires them to finish the entire social
study textbook within the academic year. Most teachers say that they hardly
finish the Ministry of Education’s social study textbook on time, so they are
not able to integrate Khmer Rouge history much. They can only talk about
Khmer Rouge regime for about two to three minutes at the end of the session, and this yields little impact on student’s understandings on what happened during the Khmer Rouge period and why it happened.
The inclusion of part of Democratic Kampuchea history textbook into
the Ministry of Education’s social study textbook only serves to limit thescope of teaching of this part of Khmer history. Khmer Rouge history canbe integrated not only in History subject but also in other subjects such as
Khmer Studies, Citizen Morality, Geography and other related social study
subjects. The better option is to recommend to the Ministry of Education
the issuance of a formal instruction to teachers who teach these subjects
to integrate Khmer Rouge history in their teaching. To be specific, the instruction can address or suggest the points and places where teachers canintegrate Khmer Rouge history in the different subjects.
In addition, some teachers suggest that DC-Cam and the Ministryof Education provide several documentary films to all relevant teachers.
Teachers claim that film is a powerful means to educate students about one
particular subject. The films can help teachers explain the content of the
Democratic Kampuchea history textbook more effectively.
From the classroom observations and interviews with teachers in Pailin
and Banteay Meanchey province, the Team suggests two ways of integrating
Khmer Rouge history more effectively into the school lessons:
1. Homework: Homework gives students the chance to read the
Khmer Rouge history textbook at home or in the library. Teachers
can collect the answers to homework questions and discuss themwith the students in the class. This can be done during the first fiveto ten minutes at the start of the class.
2. Devoting one lesson objective to Khmer Rouge history: Usually,each lesson contains at least three objectives. Regardless of thelesson being taught, teachers can make teaching of Khmer Rouge134

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i chistory as one of these objectives. They can use the comparative
method, for example, to compare and contrast between Myanmar’s
economy and that of Democratic Kampuchea.
However, while the teachers are able to follow these suggestions, they
still encounter some challenges. Currently, the Ministry of Education introduces new social study textbooks with additional content and lessons while
the number of allotted hours remains the same. Teachers may face difficultyin giving time to integrating Khmer Rouge history into their regular teaching. According to some interviews, teachers of all subjects have never beenable to finish their respective syllabuses on time.
A teacher from Hun Sen Mongkun Borei Secondary School suggeststhat more teaching of Khmer Rouge history in schools can occur if teacherstaught one whole chapter from A History of Democratic Kampuchea textbook or integrate Khmer Rouge history within three regular lessons from
the Ministry of Education’s social study textbook. Doing so, teachers may beable to finish the eleven chapters from A History of Democratic Kampuchea
textbook within one academic year.
In order that students grasp the basic knowledge on Khmer Rouge history by the time they graduate from secondary school, teachers should begin to integrate the history from grade 9 up to grade 12. The integration
should not be confined only to History subject.

III. Textbook, Guidebook and Workbook Availability and Use
Roughly estimated, only about twenty percent of students in Pailin and
Banteay Meanchey provinces receive copies of Khmer Rouge history textbook. Teachers claim that more copies of the textbook have to be distributed to all schools across the country in order to have wider learning of the
Khmer Rouge history in the country. Teachers and School Directors alikesuggest keeping copies of the textbook in school libraries for longer use ofcurrent and future batches of students. They suggest distributing copies of
the textbook in proportion to the number of students in each school. For
example, if a school has one thousand students, it should have at least five
hundred to seven hundred copies of the textbook. If a school has three thousand students, the school should obtain at least two thousand five hundred
copies of the textbook.

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Moreover, in lending the textbook, the schools should give priority tostudents in grades 9, 10, 11 and 12. The schools have to collect the copies
back at the end of each academic year.
The copies of the Teacher’s Guidebook and the unpublished Student
Workbook have been distributed only to teachers who have received training
on Khmer Rouge history. The rest of the teachers do not have these teaching materials and rarely integrate Khmer Rouge history into their teaching.
For the subsequent trips, the Team should bring copies of the guidebook
and workbook for the school libraries so that teachers who have not had
the chance to attend the training on Khmer Rouge history are able to takeadvantage of these teaching materials. Moreover, the teachers who did nothave the training can seek advice from the trained teachers on the points
they do not understand. This will encourage the teachers who did not havethe training to integrate Khmer Rouge history into their regular teaching.
IV. Community Observations
a. Perspectives of former Khmer Rouge cadres
The Team observed two different perspectives regarding discussion of
Khmer Rouge history among the former Khmer Rouge cadres. Those whoare in the government position do not want to recall their Khmer Rougebackground, which they may find shameful. In contrast, the ordinary former Khmer Rouge cadres sincerely tell their story with little attempt to hideinformation.
Mr. Choub Sambat (Deputy Head of the Pailin Provincial Office of
Education) and Mr. Ly San (Director of Hun Sen Tep Nimet Secondary
School) initially refused to be interviewed by the Team. Mr. Sambat did notwant to talk about his story initially, though he relented later on and narrated some of his experiences. Mr. Ly San wanted to hide his whole story.
Instead of answering questions, he commented that “[R]ecalling the history
will create revenge and hatred.” To him, most former Khmer Rouge cadres
do not want to talk about their past experiences because they are about lossof face and humiliation. They want to be completely separated from the past.
Mr. San added that he loved the integration policy of the government that
preserved all the positions and works for former Khmer Rouge cadres in
Pailin. Mr. San said that he had never told his story during the Khmer Rouge

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H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i cperiod to his children. He told his children to focus on their study and not to
pay much attention to the Khmer Rouge issues.
In contrast, the ordinary former Khmer Rouge cadres welcomed theTeam very well. Mr. Soam Chhay and Mrs. Tam Chantho, a couple living in
Bor Yakha commune, Pailin District, Pailin Province, agreed to an interview.
They described their life during the Khmer Rouge period, when they were
workers in the factories in Phnom Penh. In 1979, they escaped to Pailin with
the Khmer Rouge leaders and worked as soldiers. Mr. Chhay was injured
many times during the encounters between the Khmer Rouge guerrilla forces and the government forces of the People’s Republic of Kampuchea (prk)in the 1980s. They claimed that they did not commit any crime during the
Khmer Rouge period and they did not wish to become Khmer Rouge cadres.
However, they had to adapt themselves to the situation and political leadership in order to survive in the Khmer Rouge society. The couple agreed thatteaching and learning Khmer Rouge history in the classrooms were important in preventing such crimes in the future.
b. Knowing Khmer Rouge history as a way to discipline children
People usually use the Khmer Rouge experience to discipline and educate their young children on the prevailing social practices. Parents usuallytell children, “You are lucky to be born in this regime. In my time, life wasso hard.” In some cases, parents use the hardship during the Khmer Rouge
regime to encourage their children to study.
c. Seeing the former Khmer Rouge cadres in proper perspective
The Team interviewed Mr. Mei Makk, former personal adviser to Pol
Pot and now Deputy Governor of Pailin Province, to understand the attitudes of former middle-ranking Khmer Rouge cadres toward teaching
Khmer Rouge history in the classroom.
Mr. Makk sees the former Khmer Rouge cadres as people who committed atrocities during the Khmer Rouge regime, but he sees them also
as victims. Having been victimized for many years, they are fed up withdiscussing Khmer Rouge and would like to focus on their livelihood instead.
He explains that being illiterate, the Khmer Rouge corrupted their thinking and beliefs. The Khmer Rouge cheated them and yet they still followed
them. They were used like cows and animals. The senior Khmer Rouge officers would say:

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If people were educated, they would run away from the political line and the leaders. So we should not let them obtain higheducation. We don’t have to establish schools. It is easier to use
the illiterate.
But under the leadership of H.E. Y Chhean (now Governor of Pailin
Province) and others, they decided to defect from the Khmer Rouge. The
government of Samdech Hun Sen introduced a “win-win” policy, which theytested and found to be true. They came out and survived. The government
did not do anything to harm them.
Their defection was also due to the oppression of Pol Pot and Son Sen.
They witnessed how the people were constantly oppressed and deprived ofthings they needed. Pol Pot and other senior leaders acquired many cars,land, and other means of livelihood while they did not even have a bicycle or
motor. All their properties were put under a collective use system.
Mr. Makk mentions that he was a school teacher and also a leader in the
1980s when the Khmer Rouge regime was fighting the Royal Governmentof Cambodia. He was made responsible for analyzing the military situation
within Cambodia and beyond and reported his analysis to Pol Pot. He saysthat if the Khmer Rouge regime would come back to power, he would be theChief of the General Staff and assistant to Son Sen. He remembers Pol Pot
saying that as long as Vietnam did not withdraw from Cambodia he would
blow up the Royal Government of Cambodia like a paper. But the Royal
Government of Cambodia became stronger, China stopped supporting the
Khmer Rouge regime and Vietnam withdrew from the country. He reported
this to Pol Pot. But Pol Pot believed that Vietnam would never withdraw
from Cambodia. Pol Pot said that “Vietnam was addicted to Cambodian
food.”On the study of the history of the Khmer Rouge regime as part of thenational school curriculum, Mr. Makk says:
It is good, indeed. If we don’t study, how can we know? If
we don’t know [the past], the situation may go that way again,
and our country will lose a lot. We have to develop our country through … globalization.... Secondly, when we study, we cansee the extent of the crimes [committed by the Khmer Rouge
regime], and it can heal people’s mental wound. Otherwise, people will continue to be angry for several generations. Moreover,
we don’t want that kind of regime to come back....The tribunal2
shows that leaders cannot do anything as they wish. With the138

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i chybrid tribunal, all leaders have fear. But some people still commit corruption. However, they are also worried....
On the use of the A History of Democratic Kampuchea textbook, Mr.
Makk says that having the book in smaller size
… would be great. You can print it into several parts and introduce them to schools. Students study part by part. Don’t be ambitious. If you are too ambitious, it may be hard for students toaccept. It can be studied part by part. For example, one semester,
how many parts do we plan to finish? It is important to study. I
don’t know what to say to express more than that. But I agree tohave it forever. Moreover, you and other young generations havework to do...
V. Impacts, Challenges and Lesson Learned
a. Sensitivity of the Khmer Rouge issue
Pailin was integrated into the Royal Government of Cambodia in 1996
when Ieng Sary, former Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of
Democratic Kampuchea, defected to the government and brought with
him thousands of members of the Khmer Rouge armed forces and people.
Roughly, about eighty percent of the provincial residents are former Khmer
Rouge cadres. Most of the students are children of these former cadres.
In this case, the interviewer has to use proper and appropriate words ininterviewing the former cadres and their children in order to avoid hurting
their feelings. It is reported that when some non-governmental organization(ngo) workers interviewed the students about people’s life in general andtheir parents’ criminal acts during the Khmer Rouge period, some students
felt bad. They felt bad learning that their parents killed people and committed a lot of crimes during the Khmer Rouge regime. One student wastraumatized by the stories learned and began to develop a mental problem.
The student was brought to the hospital for treatment.
Some new teachers say that they never use the word “Khmer Rouge”
when they communicate with the villagers. Teachers usually refer to the
Khmer Rouge period as the “three-year period.”
The Deputy Head of Pailin Office of Education, Mr. It Chea, also suggests a careful choice of words in interviewing students to avoid the same

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problem. He tells the case of some former Khmer Rouge cadres who were
furious with the interviewers and shouted: “What’s the damn point of talking more about this? I am Khmer Rouge. What do you want to do to me? Goahead and do it.”
From the interview of Mr. Chea, the Team learns that the Pailin
Provincial Office of Education has to seek advice from the Provincial
Governor before deciding whether or not to allow the Team to observe anddo evaluation in the province. This is a sensitive point that the Team has topay much attention to when doing evaluation in other former Khmer Rougestrongholds. It also shows that the sensitivity to the Khmer Rouge issues isstill strong in former Khmer Rouge areas.
b. Transferring knowledge on Khmer Rouge history and teaching
methodology
DC-Cam has held five teacher training workshops including one national teacher training, one provincial teacher training, and three commune
teacher training. School Directors, Deputy Directors or administrative
staff of the Provincial Offices of Education constitute about thirty percentof the participants. They return to schools to do administrative work, andnot teach. These participants have little impact on the integration of Khmer
Rouge history into the classroom teaching. The Team advises these school
officials to share documents, knowledge and experiences gained from thetraining with the teachers who are currently teaching in the classrooms.
c. Impact on teachers’ performance
Most School Directors say that they are happy that the Team comes toobserve classroom teaching, which alert the teachers. With the presence of
the Team, teachers are better prepared. Moreover, the Team gives advice on
how to improve teaching that adds to teachers’ knowledge.
d. Pride of teachers
Senior teachers, who obtained Baccalaureate Degree (secondary school
degree) from the 1960s onward, are proud of themselves. They rebuilt theeducation system after the fall of the Khmer Rouge in 1979, when the education system was at its zero point. They gathered educated people who
survived the Khmer Rouge regime and formed community schools in various parts of the country before the formal reestablishment of school system

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H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i cby the new government. Therefore, the Team does not only show respect tothem but also acknowledge their efforts and achievements.
e. Effect of secondary book on students’ knowledge
Cambodians who have migrated to other countries published several
books about the Khmer Rouge. The books about survivors’ stories are goodfor the general knowledge of students. However, some books contain political biases and propagandas that corrupt the students’ critical thinking. One
student read such a book and came to believe that there must be someone
behind Pol Pot and other Khmer Rouge senior leaders, and that person was
the one who ordered the killing of millions of people.
Conclusion and Recommendations
In general, the observed teachers in Pailin occasionally integrate Khmer
Rouge history into their teaching. The character of Pailin province as theformer Khmer Rouge stronghold with the majority of residents being former Khmer Rouge cadres produces certain reluctance on teachers to talkabout Khmer Rouge history. Moreover, teachers are discouraged by thepoor living condition and students’ poor attention toward education. Mostoften, students take a very long leave either to work in Thailand or to help
their parents in farming. In Banteay Meanchey, teachers integrate more the
Khmer Rouge history into their teaching. However, most often the integration efforts are in the form of brief descriptions at the end of the sessions.
To have an effective integration of Khmer Rouge history, there has tobe an official instruction from the Ministry of Education, and the instruction has to clearly identify the sections and places where teachers can makethe integration. The instruction should also give several alternatives so thatteachers have options to choose from according to their available time andsituation. For example, teachers who are not able to finish on time the social
study textbooks of the Ministry of Education can give homework on Khmer
Rouge history to students and discuss the answers at the beginning of thenext session in the class.
Most observed teachers are able to use the teaching methods theygained from the training. The popular methods are K-W-L chart and group
discussion. Teachers use big papers and write the objectives and questions
and stick them on the board so that they save time for student-led activities.

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However, all schools lack copies of the History of Democratic Kampuchea
textbook, Teacher’s Guidebook and Student Workbook. Each school needs atleast five hundred copies of the textbook for the library. Big schools mayneed at least one thousand copies. Both School Directors and teachers suggest that copies of the textbook be kept as property of the schools rather
than let students own them. The schools can lend the books to students andcollect them back to be used by the next batch of students.
Teachers, students and some members of the general populace including former Khmer Rouge cadres and their children believe that teaching
Khmer Rouge history in school is important, while considering some objection from former Khmer Rouge cadres who are currently working in various offices of the province. The young generation of Cambodians needs toknow and understand what happened during the Khmer Rouge period sothat they can help bring about wider national reconciliation, peace and theprevention of future genocide. As the former personal adviser to Pol Pot Mr.
Mei Makk say,
I agree to have [the teaching of Khmer Rouge history inschool] forever.
Endnotes
1 The formal name of the Ministry of Education is Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sport.
2 This is formally called the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
for the Prosecution of Crimes Committed during the Period of Democratic
Kampuchea (Extraordinary Chambers or ECCC).

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Annex
Lesson Plans Using A History of Democratic Kampuchea
Textbook
I. Chapter 3: The Khmer Rouge Come to Power
Teacher: Mr. Bun Yoeung
School: Hun Sen Mongkul Borei Secondary School, Grade 12
Mongkul Borei District, Banteay Meanchey Province
Duration: One hour
Date: February 25, 2001
Objectives: enable the students to
1. Describe the coming to power of the Khmer Rouge
2. Explain the historical and social context of the establishment of the Democratic
Kampuchea
3. Define some of the key words in the chapter 3.
Teaching materials: A History of Democratic Kampuchea textbook
Process and procedure:
Step 1: Teacher recalls the previous lesson by asking students some questions
related to China. He links communism to the Khmer Rouge regime. Teacher asks several
questions: What was the last lesson you studied? After expelling the Japanese troops
out of the country and winning over Chiang Kai-Shek’s forces, did Mao Zedong declarethe country as under communism or democracy? What is the color of the communist
Chinese flag?
Step 2: Two students read chapter 3 on pages 16-18.
Step 3: Teacher asks students some questions to learn historical facts: When did
Phnom Penh fall into the hand of the Khmer Rouge? What uniform did the Khmer Rougesoldiers wear? What did the Khmer Rouge declare on radio after occupying Phnom
Penh? What reactions did the people have? Where did foreigners and some Cambodianstake refuge? What did the Khmer Rouge do to them at that time? Where was Marshal
Lon Nol at that time? What did the Khmer Rouge do to the people living in the city? What
did they do on patients in the hospital?

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Step 4: Teacher asks students to summarize chapter 3.
Step 5: Teacher asks students to discuss the following question: What are theeffects of the evacuation on the people? Teacher divides students into four discussion
groups.
Step 6: Teacher gives homework to students to answer the following questions: Howdo the Khmer Rouge acts affect the emotion of the Cambodian people? Do you want
Democratic Kampuchea regime to return? Why?
II. Geographical Discovery and the Expansion of Colonial Regions of theEuropeans
Teacher: Lon Sokly, Poi Pet Secondary School, Grade 9
School: Poi Pet City, Banteay Meanchey Province
Duration: 1 hour
Date: February 26, 2011
Objectives: enable the students to
1. Recall their prior knowledge through teaching the lesson on the geographicaldiscovery and the expansion of colonial regions of the Europeans
2. Explain the importance of the reasons that led the Europeans to make theadventure and try to divide the world among them
3. Create the spirit of unity among them to protect their motherland and to preserve
peace.
Teaching materials: History textbook and K-W-L chart
Process and procedure:
Step 1: Teacher recalls the last lesson and introduces the objectives of the class forthe day.
Step 2: Teacher introduces the K-W-L method and explains the way to use thismethod. Students then fill in the K column on what they already know about Khmer
Rouge history.
Step 3: Teacher asks if students want to know anything else related to the lesson.
Then, teacher asks students to fill in the W column.
Step 4: Teacher asks students to read sections in the textbook to find the answers
to the questions in the W column.
Step 5: Teacher asks students to write what they have learned from the reading and144

H u m a n R i g h t s E d u c at i o n i n A s i a - Pa c i f i cfill in L column. Teacher asks more questions to summarize the students’ learning: Do
you love your country? Do you love peace?
Step 6: Teacher summarizes the lesson and asks students to copy the answers fromthe board into their notebooks.
III. World War II (1939-1945) and the Establishment of the United Nations
Teacher: Song Somalet, Bor Yakha Lower Secondary School, Grade 9
School: Bor Yakha District, Pailin Province
Duration: One hour
Date: February 21, 2011
Objectives: enable the student to
1. Describe the causes of World War II and those who stirred up the war
2. Describe the spread of World War II.
Teaching and learning materials: Teacher’s Guidebook and Student Workbook
Process and procedure:
Step 1: Teacher checks classroom’s sanitation, students’ attendance and discipline.
Teacher recalls the previous lesson about World War II by asking questions: What lesson
did you study last time? When did World War II start? When did it end? In World War II,
did Germany win or lose the war? When was the United Nations established?
Step 3: Teacher asks students to examine the photo on page 153 of the Student
Workbook. Then teacher asks students to read sections A and B on pages 153-154.
After that, teacher explains the meaning of the book sections.
Step 4: Teacher asks comprehension questions to summarize the students’ learning:
What year did World War II start? What country stirred up this war? Who was the German
leader who led Germany to war? What year did Britain come to war with Germany?
When did Germany start to invade the Soviet Union?
Step 5: Teacher gives homework to students. Teacher asks students to read sections
C, D and E of the textbook for next session.