Discussion and analysis of educational disparities through human capital perspective

This article discusses and analyzes educational disparities perpetuating the out-of-school children issue in Cambodia's primary education through the lens of human capital to offer a context-specific framework for a practical policy action. The article first develops an operational contextualized meaning of the key terminologies of the study such as social disparities, out-of-school children, and human capital. The article utilizes an integrative, narrative review approach, drawing upon the existing literature on the out-of-school issues in Cambodia. The article analyzes the existing strategies and interventions, including the investments in education, through the lens of human capital perspective. In spite of many efforts and subsequent investments in education, educational disparities persist, keeping many children out of school. The complexity of educational disparities in Cambodia necessitates sufficient and targeted investments alongside practical policy actions. The paper significantly contributes to the existing body of knowledge by synthesizing human capital theory with the Cambodian contemporary educational landscape to establish a foundation for practical policy implications and identifies directions for future empirical analysis.