Many of the Kingdom’s educators have expressed concerns about a new directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport which has called for teachers to wear uniforms, saying they consider them expensive and impractical.
On September 8, the ministry issued guidelines on the implementation of regulations concerning uniforms for higher education and basic education teachers. The ministry stated that the guidelines aim to promote ethics, dignity, work quality, efficiency, transparency and accountability across all levels of teaching.
However, the guidelines have added to teachers’ worries, as they believe the mandate will lead to additional expenses.
A teacher from Sen Monorom town in Mondulkiri province, who requested anonymity, told The Post that after the ministry’s announcement, she was concerned that her school’s management would require teachers to wear these uniforms for daily teaching.
“Specific teaching attire is important, but it’s also a burden because most teachers already have appropriate clothing. I urge the ministry and school management not to impose strict uniform requirements,” she said.
“If uniforms are used, they should be optional — perhaps for events like annual meetings, student exams or conferences. For daily teaching, teachers should be allowed to wear their usual attire,” she added.
She suggested that if the uniforms are required, the ministry cover the cost, as other ministries and government institutions do, especially since teachers in rural areas often face financial constraints.
“The ministry should provide teachers with uniforms periodically, like other institutions that provide them once a year. A uniform set, including clothing and insignia, costs around $70. For teachers like me, who rely solely on salaries and have to support ourselves while living away from home, spending $70 to $80 is a significant burden,” she continued.
A teacher at a lower secondary school in Prek Anhchanh commune, Mouk Kampoul district, Kandal province, agreed that having ministry-provided uniforms is a good idea because they reflect dignity and serve as a symbol of the teaching profession during events.
Similarly, however, he suggested that the ministry should provide the uniforms.
He noted that requiring teachers to wear uniforms seems like an unsuitable move, given the current circumstances and many teachers’ financial situations.
“First, teachers’ salaries are not high, and many are in debt to banks. Requiring teaching uniforms means we’d need to buy multiple sets, and a single set costs at least $50. If teachers have to pay out of pocket, they will definitely be unhappy because it’s a significant expense,” he said.
A Facebook user named Na Ra commented on the ministry’s page.
“Some ministries provide uniforms, badges, and insignia as full sets, but the education ministry requires teachers to buy everything themselves. If teachers are entitled to medals, they should receive them directly, not have to buy them at the market,” they sad.
Another social media user, Vai Viet, noted that uniforms and insignia are meant to honour dedicated education officials and boost morale. However, when these items are sold in the market, they lose their sense of pride for those who wear them.
The ministry guidelines specified that the use of teacher uniforms depends on the decisions of school principals.
The Post was unable to obtain a response from education ministry spokesperson Khuon Vichheka, as of the afternoon of September 11.
