Support 2000 Students in Cambodia

15October 2022 - This Life in Schools (TLIS) Report

School Exchange Visit

During this reporting period, This Life in Schools program conducted two exchange visited for School Support Support Committee (SSC) and Student Council (SC) members from 12 schools. There were 181 participants (100 women) included 51 SCs (15 girls) visited Chansor and Puok schools. There was also 65 (35 women) SSCs, SCs, and teachers from the host schools including 56 SCs members (34 girls). The aims of these visit is to provide opportunity to the participants to learn from outstanding schools to improve student learning and school performance.      

At the events, the participants shared their knowledge and experiences through visible visits, achievements, challenges, and solutions with questions and answers. These events are very attractive from all participants because they have learned a lot from each other. At the end of the school visit agenda, each school set up their activities plan and express their high commitment to improve their school development plan and children learning outcomes.

From the program team observation, after the school exchange visit, the SSCs, SCs, and teachers worked hard together to improve their school garden and school garbage incinerator, to repair the toilet blocks, to construct the school huts, to construct a bicycle shelter, improve their leadership, and to learn club activities to support their team members and student learning outcomes with assisted by labour community members and supported by community funds.      

Learning by doing

A girl name Theary is 15 years old, studying in grade 9, and is a chairperson of the student council at Thlok lower secondary school, Srei Snam district, and in Siem Reap Province. She lives in a poor family with her parents and one sister.

Theary said “The exchange visit is one of the important activities because it makes to change the mindset, for myself, it is very attractive and I have learned a lot from this event such as running student council work, morality, good manners, courage, teamwork, and learning of the good experiences in leading and encouraging the student council members as well as other students in more to engage in school development and student learning. Afterward, the Student Council members and I shared what we had learned from our exchange visit with all students and encouraged them to be more active participation to improve school and student learning performance”.

She said, “ After the exchange visit, I work with the team members to take lead in the building of a new school hut, preparing a new school garden with a waterfall spreading in the middle, preparing the trash place and library, decorating the friendly classroom, and planting tree infront of the school”.  

Theary Added “In the future, I want to see my school more improvements such as a clean and beautiful garden (environment) and reduce dropout rates in my school and more human resources in the community. I am committed to studying hard and becoming a valuable resource, a good role model in my school, and helping my community”.