Friday, April 14, 2006

Plight of poor Cambodian children: School is a luxury

Poor family which cannot afford to send their children to school. (Photo Keo Pech Metta, RFA)

Kompong Chhnang authority is gathering poor children to return them back to school

13 April 2006
By Keo Pech Metta Radio Free Asia

Translated from Khmer by KI-Media

A number of Cambodian children in Sre Thmey commune, Rolea Pha-ear district, Kompong Chhnang province, who had abandoned schools a few months earlier because of poverty, have been gathered by the authority and the children education and sport department to be sent back to school.

Mrs. Sam Phloeun Chan, the director of the junior high school office of the children education and sport department of the province of Kompong Chhnang said that a larger number of students in the province had abandoned school during mid-school year and went to work because their families are too poor. Currently, the department of education of the province is following up on this issue and had to visit these children more frequently. If the children stop showing up in school, officers from the department are visiting their homes to explain to them and encourage them, and in particular, to explain to the parents about the importance of their children schooling.

Mrs. Sam Phoeun Chan said that recently, her department had gathered students who abandoned schools and returned them back to school. However, she does not know the number of returned children yet. Nevertheless, the return of children to school at a time when their parents lack so much in life, does not provide very good results.

Mrs. Sam Phoeun Chan said: “the education [department] had set a policy to return the children to school according to our ability. The [Non Governmental] Organizations are also helping return the children, but only in two schools in the province of Kompong Chhnang.”

Hun Sat, the village chief of Trea Cheung village, Sre Thmey commune, Rolea Pha-ear district, Kompong Chhnang province, said that in his village, there are not too many children who abandoned school. The few who did came from poor families who are earning a living breaking rock in a quarry at the foothill of mount Kraing Dey Meas. Currently, the village authority, and the school support committee are gathering these children and returning them back to school, as well as providing them with some support such as pens, pencils, and notebooks.

The village chief added that, as an authority in the village, he worries that these poor children will not attend school on a regular basis because of poverty in their families, and furthermore, the authority does not have the ability to provide help because of the large majority of poor people living in the village.

Mr. Hun Sat said: “The [village] committee is helping also but it does not how to solve it because the number of rich people is small, therefore, there is no possibility of helping others, higher authority needs to help …”

Duch Sophea, a woman working at the rock quarry, said that she currently has 6 children in charge, her husband went to work as a laborer in Thailand and seldom comes back home, therefore, she doesn’t have the ability to raise all her children, and had to pull two of her children from school so they can help her with work at the quarry in order to survive.

Duch Sophea said that she sent one of her children back to school following the education department’s return program, however, she is not certain if her child will remain in school permanently because on certain days, her family lacks food. Today for example, Duch Sophea had only about half a cup of rice left, she planned on making rice soup for her children, fortunately, generous donors from the US sent in a donation to her, which allowed her to buy some rice and meat to eat. She and her children expressed her thanks to these generous donors.

Duch Sophea said: “… I am very happy [to receive the donation] because normally I can only afford to eat preserved fish (prahok) which cost 200 riels (US$0.05) and rice soup…”

Hong, the daughter of Duch Sophea, indicated her happiness to be able to return to study.

Sam Lieng, another girl who had also abandoned school and been returned back to school by the education department, had also received a donation from generous donors from the US. She expressed her happiness also.

Sam Lieng said: “I am very glad, the teacher came to call me to return back to school, he will provide me with books, and he will not ask for money for taking school tests. He also gave me school uniforms. I will always go to school.”

Mr. Keur Nay Leang, the deputy director of the children education and sport department, indicated that within the entire country, the rate of children dropping out of schools has decreased each year to reach currently about 10%. Nevertheless, this decrease does not meet the plan of the department.

He indicated that the department plans on having all children complete school up to 9th grade. This plan should be fully implemented by 2015.

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