VOA慢速英语2019 柬埔寨邻泰国边境地区学生辍学率升高（在线收听）

Higher Student Dropout Rates Along Cambodia's Border with Thailand

A Cambodian official reported last week that about 23 percent of children in three provinces along the border with Thailand have stopped attending school.

一位柬埔寨官员上周报告称，与泰国接壤的3个省份大约有23%的儿童已经辍学。

Cambodian Education Minister Hangchuon Naron spoke at a conference about the student dropout rate. He said that the rate in Battambang, Banteay Meanchey and Oddor Meanchey provinces was much higher than in other areas, where rates are 18 to 19 percent.

柬埔寨教育部长韩春纳洛（Hangchuon Naron）在一次关于学生辍学率的会议上发表了讲话。他说，马德望省、班迭棉吉省和奥达棉吉省的辍学率比其它地区高得多，其它地区的辍学率为18%~19%。

The education minister blamed poverty and parents who move to Thailand for work as the main reasons for the problem.

这位教育部长将此问题的主要原因归咎于贫困以及移居泰国打工的家长。

Cambodia’s education ministry has begun training teachers to advise students to stay in school, while letting them choose their own study subjects. Teachers are also to advise students whose parents work overseas about the importance of education.

柬埔寨教育部已经开始培训教师劝告学生继续学业，同时让他们自行选择学习科目。教师还给家长在海外打工的学生就教育的重要性提出劝告。

Hangchuon Naron said, “So if teachers advise the students [to stay in school] that will help them to make the right decision. They could explain to those students that they need to pursue their studies successfully and then find local jobs [afterward] as well.”

韩春纳洛表示：“如果教师劝告学生继续学业，这将有助于他们做出正确决定。他们可以向这些学生解释，他们需要成功完成学业，然后在当地找到好工作。”

But critics have expressed concern about the education ministry’s plan.

但是批评人士对教育部的计划表示担忧。

Ouk Chay Vy is president of the Cambodian Independent Teachers’ Association. She said the plan fails to deal with the issues that cause students to drop out of school.

Ouk Chay Vy是柬埔寨独立教师协会的主席。她说，该计划未能解决导致学生辍学的那些问题。

She says those reasons are poverty resulting from unemployment and a lack of land for farming. She noted that, in Cambodia, many students stop going to school because they need to work to support their families.

她说，这些原因是由于失业和缺乏耕地导致的贫困。她指出，柬埔寨很多学生辍学，是因为他们需要工作来养家糊口。

Ouk Chay Vy said a better plan would be for the government to try to increase the number of jobs so that citizens could have better living conditions.

Ouk Chay Vy表示，更好的解决方案是政府努力增加就业机会，这样公民才能拥有更好的生活条件。

“If the government could give them help, it would still not be enough,” she added.

她补充说：“如果政府可以给予他们帮助，这还是不够。”

Suon Sinuon is a farmer from Banteay Meanchey. She said that three of her children dropped out of school while they were in the sixth and ninth grades. They went to Thailand to work and help support the family.

Suon Sinuon是班迭棉吉省的农民。她说，她的3个孩子在6年级和9年级时辍学，他们去泰国打工来帮助支撑这个家。

She said that the children did not want to stop going to school, but had no other choice because of the family’s needs. She added, “Others who have enough money don’t let their children migrate, but me, I am so poor that I had to let them go work in Thailand.”

她说，孩子们不想辍学，但是由于家庭需要别无选择。她还说：“钱够用的人家不会让孩子出门打工，但是我穷，不得不让他们去泰国打工。”

Cambodia’s Ministry of Labor reports that more than one million Cambodians are working in Thailand. The education minister said that most of them come from the provinces along the Thai border.

柬埔寨劳工部报告称，有1百多万柬埔寨人在泰国打工。教育部长称他们大多来自邻近泰国边境的省份。

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Words in This Story

province – n. any one of the large parts that some countries are divided into

migrate – v. to move from one country or place to live or work in another

pursue – v. to follow and try to catch or capture someone or something for usually a long distance or time