From Educational Expert to Local Administrator: Leveraging SBM Experience to Implement Full-«Day Learning in Primary Education in the Entire Commune»

Primary education in Cambodia continues to face a learning crisis, with students' reading and math performances consistently falling below national standards. To tackle this issue, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) introduced the School-Based Management (SBM) reform program. This initiative began under the Secondary Education Improvement Project (SEIP) and later evolved into the General Education Improvement Project (GEIP). This study examines the transitional context of implementing these educational reforms at the local administrative level, guided by decentralization and deconcentration policies in the education sector. The primary objective of this research is to understand how a former hands-on SBM practitioner—now serving as a Commune Chief (Chao Sangkat) in a Phnom Penh district—has effectively applied their technical educational knowledge and SBM skills to local governance. The research employs a qualitative single-case study approach, gathering data through semi-structured in-depth interviews, document analysis, and direct field observations. Findings reveal that the Commune Chief successfully led the 100% implementation of a full-day teaching and learning program across the high school and all five primary schools in his commune within just three years. His specific strategies for transforming the school culture included building a shared vision using concrete standardized test data, getting directly involved rather than relying solely on administrative mandates, and empowering School Management Committees (SMCs) to mobilize community resources to solve local challenges. This resource mobilization supported the addition of three instructional hours per day while maintaining strict equity principles for poor and vulnerable students. Overall, this case study highlights the policy potential of replicating the "Educational Commune Chief" model across other decentralized authorities, effectively blending local political power with pedagogical technical capital. This model provides crucial input for the MoEYS and the Ministry of Interior in defining the capacity packages for local leaders to accelerate decentralization reforms and efficiently address the learning crisis at the grassroots level.