Enable 60 Cambodian children to go to school

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our beneficiaries in Cambodia, as well as the education system as a whole.

Unfortunately, the country is experiencing a rapid increase in unemployment due to the significant decrease in tourism and subsequent closures of hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions, and this is leading to widespread poverty and the need for families to prioritise their concerns about having enough money to feed the family. Schools re-opened in Cambodia in early September and the Ministry of Education have declared the period September to December as a 'catch up learning' period. They are encouraging teachers to teach the concepts that should have been taught between March and August, so that children are not left behind and so that they are able to successfully progress to the next Grade. However, schooling looks very different: new measures introduced to combat coronavirus have seen classes split in half (sometimes into thirds) and children only attending school up to three mornings a week. This means Cambodian children are in school for 10 hours a week. Children in Australia, the UK and Ireland are typically in school for over 25 hours a week.

Early indications show us that the children on our Conditional Cash Payments program in Angkor Thom have returned to school for this catch up learning period and we are working closely with school principals and parents to support this to continue. The new school year will start in January 2021 (delayed from November 2020) and we will provide the next CCP payments to families later in January. Of course, this program has never been more important, not only because these small payments will help to keep a child in school but also they will help to relieve some of the pressure that families under financial strain are feeling.

Here is one example of how the CCP program is supporting children and their families:

Ry Sokha* is in grade 5 and has been on the CCP Programme since grade 1. The uniform and school materials his family can afford to buy for him using the grant has given him the confidence to attend school regularly. Sokha studies intently at school and home, and with his parents’ encouragement, he has become an outstanding student. They want to support him through university and his mother is keen Sokha becomes a doctor. She said, “I still encourage my son to go to school regularly, monitor his work and support him at home because education will bring him a better life.” Sokha’s teacher said, “He always shows a good level of discipline in class and works hard.”

*Name changed for privacy purposes