ABSTRACT. The United Nations Convention on The Rights of the Child, ratified in 1989, Article 28 states that ‘Primary Education will be made compulsory and free to all children’ (General Assembly, 1989). This paper looks at education in Cambodia and in particular, primary school education and the Millennium Development Goal to achieve universal primary education by 2015. The challenges of achieving MDG2 are investigated including poverty, disparity in terms of gender and location, lack of well trained, quality teachers and an education system with limited funding. What is the significance of achieving MDG2 and what are the next steps in Education for Cambodia? pp. 16–28

Keywords: Millennium Development Goals; gender inequality; girls’ education; poverty; primary school education; Cambodia