Although primary schools exist in every district, distance remains one of the major obstacles to universal access to primary education. The high opportunity costs of sending children to school constitute another major obstacle since about 80 percent of the population reside in farm households, which depend largely on the use of their own child labor. Female labor, in particular, is highly valued in household chores. This is a result of outdated curricula, inadequate instructional hours, lack of a quality assurance system, limited coverage and access to textbooks, the prevalence of unqualified teachers, the large number of students per teacher particularly at the primary level, and low teacher morale because of low teacher salaries. Resulting largely from the problem of low quality of education, internal efficiency as measured by students' performance is low.
Poverty is a factor in the high dropout rates experienced in Cambodian schools.
ADB's 1994 Education Sector Strategy Study presented policy and strategic frameworks for education development especially at the basic education level. The plan identified policy and strategy reforms needed for basic education as well as investment priorities. ADB's strategy for the education sector in Cambodia will be to promote and facilitate a comprehensive approach to education development, led and owned by the Government. Within the overall sector policy framework, ADB will continue to focus on improving efficiency, quality, and equitable access to basic education, especially for the rural poor and girls. ADB's immediate strategy will be to consolidate and extend policy and strategy development, in coordination with other aid agencies.