Situation analysis of inclusive education training courses in Cambodia

This report has been produced in collaboration with the NGOs Catholic Relief Service in Phnom Penh (SRC) and Caritas Czech Republic as part of the project focused on transfer of inclusive education teaching methods from Czech Universities to Cambodian teacher training centres. A survey was conducted with a representative sample of Heads of PTTCs and a selection of trainers who were and were not trained in Inclusive education, across 8 regions. Using a mixed quantitative and qualitative questionnaire in Khmer, the survey set out to establish the numbers, types and content of Inclusive Education courses currently being offered in Cambodia and the extent to which these courses respond to the current demands on teachers, to enable the effective inclusion of children with special needs and disabilities at schools within this context. Data was collected by a local Inclusive Education project team and analyzed by external consultants for whom the data was translated into English. Findings revealed that although some trainers have been trained on short Inclusive Education courses and they, together with Heads and untrained tutors were highly supportive of Inclusive Education despite a range of barriers in Cambodia, only a very small number of PTTCs were currently offering training courses in this area. There is a definite need for more intense training for all tutors and teachers, which should focus on a range of disabilities, assistive devices, inclusive curriculum and management of inclusion in the context of current demands on teachers.