The government will provide scholarships to poor public school students in grades 1 through 12 in an effort to curb drop-out rates.

Primary and lower secondary students will receive 240,000 riel ($60) a year and upper secondary students will receive 360,000 riel ($90), according to a March 17 decree from Prime Minister Hun Sen, released by the Ministry of Education this week.

The scholarships include the 2014/2015 academic year for grades 4 through 12, but scholarships for students in grades 1 through 3 will be held and issued by prakas.

The ministry also plans to award an additional 60,000 scholarships.

“This scholarship will help to strengthen education based on government policy,” Minister of Education Hang Chuon Naron told the Post yesterday.

Soem Sim, deputy director for Hun Sen Taing Kork high school in Kampong Thom’s Baray district, which has 18 scholarship recipients, said that students need $100 per month, not per year.

“The budget is still not enough for poor students, and the dropouts will continue, because they think they can work in a factory for $150 a month,” he said.