Increasing confidence and learning readiness among children at the early age of primary school is essential. Education Above All’s Educate partnership with Cambodia Consortium of Out-of-School Children (CCOSC) led by Action Education and a part of the Fisher Folk Making Circular Economy Work for the Western Tonle Sap Lake (FOSTER) led by Oxfam, works on providing enhanced learning opportunities for Children in Cambodia.
Phean Serei Ratana, 8 years old, is an outstanding grade 3 student at Khum Koh Chivaing primary school in Prek Toal, one of the floating villages on the banks of Tonlé Sap, Cambodia’s and Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake.
Ratana is always happy about her academic performance because she enjoys learning, particularly Khmer literacy subject. In her spare time, she studies and finishes her assignments. This is why she has consistently performed well and stayed at or near the top of her class since she was in the first grade. Khmer literacy subject is fun and straightforward to study.
Rachana admitted, “Even though it is boring sometimes, I have to study from my textbooks numerous times in order to know them by heart and to pass the exam well.”
Reading is vital for students of all ages because it broadens their vocabulary, increases their focus and understanding, and strengthens their memory, all of which contribute to higher academic performance and a more well-rounded understanding of the world. However, because of its geographical isolation and lack of roads, providing children in flooded parts of Cambodia with access to this opportunity remains a significant difficulty. Because of this, many kids, like Ratana, only read books when they have to in order to complete classroom assignments or study for tests.
As 2022 draws to a close, however, this trend is beginning to reverse thanks to the distribution of reading books from the CCOSC.
Khum Koh Chivaing Primary School, like many others in flooded areas, is built on stilts since there is no other option due to the lack of dry land. As a result, there is no room for a library or a dedicated reading nook. The distribution of reading book boxes is a crucial option because they can be moved easily from one school to another, giving students access to books throughout the year. As a result, most children now read books they’ve shared with their friends during recess instead of playing.
“I have never read these types of well-illustrated books before. I am excited because I can acquire new knowledge from my school books. So I have to read all these books because the more I read, the more I enjoy myself,” Ratana said.
Providing enhanced learning opportunities is critical, as is enriching the culture of reading in children because they will voluntarily devote more of their time to reading books that correspond to their level of understanding and preference. As a result, in partnership with target schools, it provides more possibilities to encourage children to read a variety of books in order to enhance their knowledge beyond what they study in school.
“My favorite book is Health and Hygiene because this well-illustrated guide teaches me about the hygiene of various parts of the body (hair, ears, teeth, hands, and feet), as well as the importance of balanced meals and drinking water,” Rachana explained. “I would like to have and read more hygiene books because I want to become a teacher and teach children how to avoid diseases, especially diarrhea,” Ratana added.
