Cambodia Education Project"
EUGENE The University of Oregon has been selected
to participate in a $15 million educational project in the King- .
dom of Cambodia in Southeast Asia.
The university will provide faculty members to go to
Cambodia during the six-year program, and will bring Cam
bodians to the Oregon campus to be trained as teachers.
A contract now under negotiation with the U. S. Agency
for International Development and the Koyal Cambodian
government will call for a budget of about $;l million for the
University of Oregon's part of the project. This will provide
for American teachers, Cambodian participants, and equip
ment for six years.
In addition to the university contract, the balance of the
SIS million budget will provide for construction of buildings
and campuses at a secondary school and a teaching training
center, for USAID technicians, and other purposes.
To Get Spccialitctl Training
A total of 50 participants for training as future teachers
in Cambodia will be sent to the University of Oregon for
specialized training.
The first group of nine has arrived in Eugene for a spe
cialized two-year training period. All of this group have been
teachers in Cambodian schools,
Chief of party of the Cambodian project will be Dr. J.
Francis Rummel, professor of education at the university,
who traveled to Cambodia last spring to consult with Cam
bodian Ministry of Education officials and assist in prepara
tions for the project.
The project calls for the establishment of a teaching
training center, with a capacity of about 800 students, at the
city of Siem Reap near the famous historical ruins of
Angkor Wat, pius the development of a comprehensive sec
ondary school of an American type in the capital city of
Phnom Penh. (
Similar to Nepal Program
The project is somewhat similar to a five-year project
in 1951-59, when the university engaged in a program in the
Studying a model of the Khmer-American Friendship school now under construction in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia,
as part of a $15 million educational project in which the University of Oregon will participate are, from left, Dr. Harold Loper,
chief of the educational division of the U. S. Agency for International Development in Cambodia; Dr. .1. Francis Rummel, pro
fessor of education at the University of Oregon who will be chief of party of the educational project, and Dr. Ruell Kick, edu
cation specialist for USAID in Cambodia.
Features
Sports
MedfordTribune
oI'LTICwTb- MEDKORDOREGOn7sUNDAy7sEPTEMBER 29, 1963 PAGES 1 to 8
Cambodia Is an Ancient Country
The kingdom of Cambodia,
where the University of Ore
gon will participate for the
next six years in a $15 million
educational project, is an an
cient country with a recorded
history which dates back to
the beginning of the Christian
era.
Influenced by the Khmer
emperors, the national lan
guage of the country is Cam
bodian, or Khmer, although
French is widely spoken and
English is taught.
One of the principal wonders
of the Orient are the ruins of
Angkor Wat, which are great
geome'ric stone monuments
built at the zenith of Uie
medieval empire. The exten
sive ruins are only about four
miles from the city of Siem
Reap.
Part of the Cambodian edu
cational project will be the
eslahlishment of a learher
training center at Siem Reap,
located on a large tract of
land set aside for this purpose
by the Cambodian government
about half-way between the
center of the city and the
ruins.
Cambodia came under
French influence in 1863, but
obtained complete independ
ence from France in 1953 and
became a member of the
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This map shows the kingdom of Cambodia, where the University of Oregon will participate in
a SIS million educational project during the next si years The project includes the construction
of a secondary school, the Khmer-Ameriran Friendship school, in the nation's capital. Phnom Penh,
and the construction of a teacher's education renter at lh city of Siem Heap near the site of lh
famous Angkor Wat ruins.
United Nations in 1955.
The chief of stale and presi
dent of the Council of Min
isters is Prince Norodom
Sikanouk. After the death
of his father in 1960, he suc
ceeded his father but did not
ascend the throne.
About four years ago Prince
Sihanouk became concerned
about the lack of teacher
training facilities in Cam
bodia. A raining center was
established, which is now pro
viding about 200 teachers a
year, but he determined a new
school should be established
to train more teachers to meet
the needs of the rapidly in
creasing number of schools
being developed by the Cam
bodian government.
Cambodia is about two-third
the size of Oregon, and has a
population of about five mil
lion. The climate is like most
other monsoon-belt countries,
with a dry season from De
cember to May, and a rainy
season from June to Novem
ber. The country is bisected by
the Mekong River, which is
the fourth largest river in the
world. When the river is at
flood it is about 40 feet higher
than during the dry season,
and this causes the Tonle
Sap. a large river and lake
system which is tributary to
the Mekong, to reverse its
flow for about three months.
Phnom Penh. Cambodia's
capital, is at the confluence of
the Mekong and the Tonle Sap
and has a population of about
half a million people. About
50 per cent are clhnie Cam
hndians, representing a mix
lure of Malay and Indian
strains with some admixture
of Chinese.
The rot of Ihr Phnom Tenh
population is about per rent
Chinese and 2(1 per rent Viet
namese Outside the capital,
the population consists pri
marily of ethnic Cambodians.
The city is a quiet place.
Its main "tree-lined thorough
fare. Boulevard Norodom, was
spaciously laid out by the
French, and many European
type houses are found in this
section Thatched Cambodian
type huts are found in clusters
elsewhere in the city and on
its outskirts Siem Reap is
about 200 miles by road from
the capital
The country is largely un
developed, with about 75 per
rent of the land virgin forest.
The main i n d u s t r i e s are
forestry, fishing, and agiirul
lure, wilh ric orrupying
about fiO per cent of the land
Usage.
fyg&K h
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Dr. .1. FRANCIS KUMMKI.
Oirrrim ot .Cambodia Project
Dr. J.' Francis Rummel, professor of education at the University of Oregon is showh during a
recent trip to Cambodia when he described the university to part of the group of It Cambodian
teachers who will study at the university for the next two years. The teachers will then return to
Cambodia to teach in the Khmer-American Friendship school.
Kingdom of Nepal in the Himalayas. This project saw the
development of teaching renters, the training bf Nepalese
teachers in Oregon, and culminated in a visit to the Univer
sity of Oregon by the King and Queen of Nepal.
Dr. Rummel was one of the campus coordinators for the
Nepal project. In this position he supervised the training of
Ncpalcse teachers in Eugene.
For the Cambodia project the campus coordinator will
be Dr. Arthur C. Hearn, professor of education, while Dr.
Rummel will be in Cambodia as chief of party.
The secondary school in Phnom Penh will be known as
Khmer-American Friendship school. Construction has begun
on the school, Dr. Rummel reported.
The architectural plans for the teachers college at Siem
Reap are now being developed, and construction will begin
this winter. Both schools will open for classes in August, 1965.
Instruction in Knglish
At the secondary school instruction will he in the English
language by the teachers trained at the University of Oregon.
This will provide a nucleus of young Cambodians well versed
in the English language to assume responsibilities in the
cmmereial, political, and international affairs of the country.
A group of 10 more Cambodians will be sent to the Uni
versity of Oregon in January, 1964, followed by 16 in Septem
ber, 1964, and 15 in September, 1965. The 41 Cambodians will
engage in a four-year program of teacher education.
In addition, four Cambodian school administrators will
he sent to the Eugene campus. These will include an admin
istrator and an assistant administrator from both schools.
They will engage in a six-months training period in school
administration. 1
The education center at Siem Reap is planned for Ih
training of teachers for the rural primary and elementary
grades. A group of four professional education advisors from
Oregon state system of higher education will arrive in Siem
Reap in January, 1965, so that they will have about eight
. months before thq schools open in which to plan courses of
study and work with locally trained Cambodians who will
make up the interim and permanent staff.
Will Serve Jointly
Dr. Rummel and his secretary will be serving jointly for
both the Siem Reap center and the Khmer-American school.
In addition, a. number of American elementary and sec
ondary school teachers will be employed to assist in instruc
tion, teaching techniques, and In-service training of the . Cam
bodian staff until all of the University of Oregon-trained
Cambodian teachers return to replace them. ,
Those teachers will he hired for two-year periods begin
ning in July, 1964, 1965, 1966, and 1967 to teach in the areas
of mathematics, science, music, arts and crafts, business
education, and home economics.
In addition to an annual salary, transportation and hous
ing is provided lor the teachers. Since French is widely spok
en in Cambodia, all teachers should have a background in
that language. . i
Teachers who are interested in applying for a posilion
in this project should write to Dr. J. Francis Rummel, school
of education, University of Oregon, Eugene.
t?,! -ftWtl i ....in. J M
This is a typical elementary school class in Cambodia, where the University of Wwgon wll participate in a $15 million erlu
,:n4 prorrl. including establishment of a new secondary school and a new leacheK traMuug renter. Many of the rural ele
:Wijry schools In Cambodia are of this nature, hut many of the urban schools are quiht similar to typical American schools