Applications for the Teaching Excellence and Training Program are now open to secondary school teachers with five years' experience

THE US embassy in Cambodia is inviting secondary school teachers to apply for a position in its annual Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA).

The program provides 156 secondary school teachers from around the world the opportunity to travel to the United States to develop expertise in their subject areas, enhance their teaching skills, and increase their knowledge about the US.

US embassy spokesman John Johnson said they hoped to send four or five Cambodian teachers this year.

"I think that Cambodia's education level, quality and ability are improving every year, and this is something we are keen to support," he said.

The program is open to secondary-level, full-time teachers with five or more years of classroom experience in either English as a foreign language, social sciences, mathematics or science. Applications close on May 22.

Last year, 40 teachers from Cambodia applied and three were selected for a two-month stint in the US.

According to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, there are currently 103,618 teachers in Cambodia.

Soeur Socheata, deputy general director of administration and finance at the education  ministry, said he hoped the program would encourage a healthy spirit of competition among teachers, especially those from rural areas.

It encourages

teachers to test their abilities both in Cambodia and internationally.

"This program is good because it encourages teachers to test their abilities both in Cambodia and internationally," he said.

Do and see

The program will include coursework and intensive training in teaching methodologies, lesson planning and teaching strategies for the participants' home environment. It will also train participants in the use of computers for internet research, word processing and as teaching tools.

It includes a six-week academic program as well as a two-week internship at a secondary school designed to expose

participants to American teachers and students.

Trips to US cultural sites and academic support will be provided for participants throughout the program.

The program is financed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State, and implemented by IREX, a Washington, DC-based nonprofit organisation.