Cambodian teacher filmed taking students' money disciplined

A Cambodian primary school teacher in capitalPhnom Penh has been removed from her job after a video of herillicitly collecting money from students circulated online, anEducation Ministry spokesman said on Monday.The ministry applied an "administrative penalty by withdrawing herteaching position," spokesman Dy Kham Boly told dpa.The spokesman said the ministry issued instructions about teacherprofessionalism, which prohibit educators from taking money fromstudents, and continues to enforce guidelines to prevent such acts.In a video clip shared on Facebook, a teacher is seen collecting cashfrom seated pupils. One student can be heard saying, "Teacher, Ididn't bring the money with me."The minimum monthly salary for Cambodia teachers is about 300dollars, well above the 182-dollar-per-month minimum wage for thenation's 700,000 garment workers. Cambodian Independent Teachers' Association president Ouk Chhayavytold the Khmer Times that following an Education Ministry crackdownmany teachers have stopped collecting money from their students, butsome still take about 25 cents or less per pupil to supplement theirearnings."We appeal to the ministry to totally eliminate this unprofessionalaction," Chhayavy said.The ministry said in a statement that it investigated the incidentafter viewing the video online, the Times reported. "The investigation showed that the teacher collected money and shealso admitted in writing that she did so," the statement said.She was transferred to do office work in the school, while anotherteacher was assigned to her class, the ministry said.