Prasat is a primary school located in Phlang village, Prey Chrok commune, Pouk district, Siem Reap province, approximately 42 kilometers from the provincial town of Siem Reap City in a rural area west of Tonle Sap Lake. Prasat is the one primary school among 20 primary schools in Siem Reap that projects intervention. It has 19 teachers with eight females, including eight contracted teachers with seven females. This school has grades 1 to 6 and has 425 students, with 208 girls students.
As a school principal, Mr. Yi Khob is responsible for many tasks from management to organizing, such as managing teachers’ teaching planning, school development planning, cooperating with the school committee and community for better planning, conducting classroom observation, resource mobilization, and school fundraising.
“In the last two years, my school had limited things to offer for students, such as no schoolyard. The student had no place to get the school food in the morning, and there wasn’t a place for students to put their bicycles; the canteen and shops in the school weren’t organized, unpaved entrance, and there was no garden in the school and the seedling planted was little. Moreover, the quality of education for students has deteriorated significantly due to Covid 19. It has many slow learners, and it is not much with the student capacity for their grades. Lack of school materials supported, lack of safe drinking water, students are still low morals, there is no garbage disposal, and many students are late for school enrollment,” said Mr Yi Khob, school principal.”
Said Mr Yi Khob, school principal of Prasat; after the school planning workshop intervention in my school, “I learned a lot about building the capacity of knowledge through attending the virtual and in-person training such as CFS self-assessment, WASH assessment, Menstruation management at school,”
Moreover, he added, “I also learned about the selection of scholarship process, update school mapping, school development plan, life skill, girl counseling, remedial orientation and how to support slow learners, remedial test.”
An exchange visit to Wat Bo, a primary school, the champion school in the country, made him understand resource mobilization and other real-world examples of school management.
After getting support from the project school a year ago, the Prasat Primary School, he claimed he could understand school mapping and development plans. He said; Participation was essential; from the school management committee, children councils, parents, and the community, the school can drive for better results.
Inclusive education is crucial, especially among minority children, dropout children, over-age children, and students who didn’t register is necessary for school mapping,
In addition, currently, the school is changing new results such as the school was set up the Karola/floor in front of the classrooms, building a roof for a water filter for students, renovating the school garden, making the statue of King Jayavarman VII (historical hero of Cambodia), constructing of garbage incinerators, garbage sorting places and toilets. Students’ ability is increasing after getting the remedial learning program, reducing the dropout rate, and the school environment has changed and has a green background. Most parents trust the school management, leadership, and development, more participants, and most parents support their children at home and send them to school.
The ability of school principals is increasing, including management and leadership skills. Most of the teachers are satisfied and participate in the project activities. The teacher fully supports their students, supports school development activities, and is highly committed to providing quality teaching. The school has transparency, and the school management committee helps to mobilize the resources to develop the school and support the marginalized students. Most parents understand how to support their children and send them to school.
