Over 94 percent of children are now enrolled in primary school at the right age. However, this result alone cannot ensure that Cambodia is on track to achieve its goal of universal basic education by 2015 (completion of nine years of education). Overage entry and enrolment at the primary level and slow progress in improving survival rates of school children from grade 1 to 6 (currently at 59 percent) compared to the target of 100 percent by 2010, sadly, make this goal unlikely to be achieved.

Achieving this goal will require more than a tripling of recent growth rates to ensure equitable access to basic education, tackling the persistent issue of overage admission and high repetition and drop-out rates in primary schools, partly through a well developed network of community based pre-schools, increasing budgetary allocations, subsidizing transportation and scholarships to target students from poor families, and improving the quality and efficiency of the teaching system. It will also require increased mobilization and participation of communities in the educational process.