Cambodian Voices

... Paving the way on inclusion and on ethnic minorities …

During the week of June 16 - 20, 2014, MondulKiri Province (and other provinces) were visited by a ‘bubbly‘ group of Ph'nong/ Khmer media: newspaper, magazine, television and radio reporters and, who came from the Delegation of the European Union in Cambodia (DEU) in Phnom Penh.   The

purpose of the visit was to highlight the role of the EU in supporting Education in Cambodia. They wanted to document the stories of educators across Cambodia with a focus on inclusion and on ethnic minorities. 

 
In courtesy of VSO, I hosted, gave a presentation (on ‘Strengthening Education’ in MondulKiri), coordinated meetings and visits (with the media delegation) to two rural Village Schools and one elementary school in Sen Monorom town.  Below are brief interview excerpts that were conducted with teachers, school directors and the POE director.

PouLong Village School, approximately 20 kilometres from Sen Monoron Town is a privileged and a well-equipped ‘model’ rural school where 169 children are predominantly Ph’nong.   Last January 2014, this village school received an award at the ‘MondulKiri Annual Congress’ meeting for its many attributes and its exemplary for other Village Schools.   PouLong School is a lucky school.  It gets a high level of support from several NGOs, including VSO! This includes a fully operated library; ample teaching resources; a nutritional breakfast, a health sanitation and dental programme. (Child Friendly School Programme: Dimension 3 - ‘Living Hygienically’), and receives much more. 

The school director and teachers who were smartly dressed in colourful outfits, a reflection of their school, were both excited and nervous with the anticipation of being interviewed by the ‘bubbly’ group of reporters.  Whilst being interviewed we heard a sense of accomplishment in the voices of the school director and teachers.  Through their expressions and laughter, we could even hear the excitement in their voices when they were telling their story of the successes of PouLong Village School.  

Sot Chanthoeun the school director proudly announced ‘At one time the enrolment was low.  Parents and students didn’t ‘ know‘ the value of education.  Now, most of our children come to school’.  They want to learn!’  

Beamed with delight the grade 1 Bunong teacher told the reporters  ‘We have breakfast here!’  And, pointing to the toothbrushes lined at the back of her classroom wall, she excitedly declared.  ‘After the children eat, they brush their teeth outside by the fence and use their own water bottles, hung on a clothes line, to rinse’.    

Moved by the teacher’s enthusiasm, which intrigued the reporters further, was the teacher librarian who was in the midst of preparing a story for the grade 1 students.  The Ph’nong librarian who shyly smiled at the camera also echoed the success story of PouLong Village School, and, of her ‘smart looking’ little library.  During the course of her testimonial, the grade 1 students softly ‘tip toed’ into the library (some with a book in hand, discreetly passing them to the front for the teacher to chose from), and sat on the floor, quietly waiting for the librarian to read them a story; a regular event at PouLong Village School.  After her interview, and, conscientious of her eager cross legged little brood, the librarian happily picked up one of the books placed in front of her, comfortably held her baby in one arm and began to read a story.  

PouTaing Village School is a more typical underprivileged and poorly supported rural school where children are predominantly Ph’nong.   The village school lacks teaching resources and has no water supply or latrines.  There is no breakfast programme for its 84 students.  However, the Ph’nong children at the school have the unique opportunity to attend an

after school English for Cambodia classes with a retired Ph’nong local teacher.   Loyt Chanty, school director of the school noted 2 important positive factors in his school; benefiting in education.  First, he claimed that ‘Progress in Early Childhood Education in the Northeastern area is a bit slow, but better than before. He also pointed out that his Bunong students were benefiting from the Khmer language curriculum and English lessons  ‘Previously, no one knew Khmer, or English, but Ph’nong children now know how to speak, read and write Khmer’.  With a grin and poise, he added  ‘And, they know some English too!   

Hu Sen-Sen Monorom Primary School is the largest school in MondulKiri province.  It is well funded by education and several NGOs.  The school has adequate teaching resources, a nutritional breakfast, and a health sanitation programme for its 933 students who are predominantly Khmer.   The day of the interview, the sun glowed on the school director’s well-pressed pastel ‘coral’ shirt;  a rarity for MondulKiri’s sometimes-dusty weather that will keep clothes permanently stained in saffron red.  While the children played and squealed with delight, Sang Ra, school director, took the reporters on a school tour and proudly showed off the school’s well manicured gardens, the classrooms, the health facilities and much more.  He spoke softly and eloquently to ensure that the media absorbed every word he uttered, suggesting that his school was the best in all of MondulKiri province!  

Tim Sangvat, POE director of MondulKiri province, proudly gave an overview of the capacity development partnership fund and spoke of its purpose, framework and benefits.  ‘Some of the results are very good.   As a result of EU’s funding, as a result of UNICEF and, VSO’s great support since 2005: school dropout rates have decreased; students’ attendance, particularly girls’ attendance has increased, professional development workshops for teachers and school directors have improved and much more’.   However, Sangvat

expressed a concern about the partnership fund that was created in 2011 and was sadly expiring by the end of 2014.   He also reflected on the needs of many village schools (in particular, Bunong remote village schools) in MondulKiri province. ‘Some of the things here in our province are still lacking.  MondulKiri is in much need of an extended Province Wide Breakfast Programme’.  With some optimism and some certainty in his voice, he added.  ‘We hope that the EU will help us!’  

 

Since the interview took place early last summer, the financing agreement for the EU-Cambodia Education Sector Reform Partnership 2014-2016 proudly announced that the EU have now funded Cambodia double the money they had initially received during the last 3 years to support the education sector in Cambodia.  (More information can be  found in

the Cambodian Daily).   

More later ... :)