Teaching Parents The Value Of Education

28/10/2010 12:07:00

Volunteering has come a long way from the days of students digging wells and building toilet blocks. But in Cambodia, one volunteer has been doing just that...

Cambodia is now at peace. But 30 years of war and unrest have left its infrastructure in tatters, including its education system. A severe shortage of qualified teachers, coupled with the economic pressures families face, means large numbers of children are missing out on school all together.

Cambodian government ministers recognise that a generation without education would be a national disaster, so they’re working to make sure every child goes to school.

Aware of what a difference VSO’s skilled volunteers can make, they asked us to help them achieve this ambition. Now there are 37 VSO education volunteers in Cambodia, operating at every level in the school system.

Among them is Mary Knox, who works directly with schools, training local teachers. Mary soon realised that in order to bring children into the classroom, she also needed to convince parents that education is a worthwhile investment. For the many families who live hand to mouth, the choice can be stark: send a child to school and they may earn more in the future, but send them to work now and the family can keep hunger at bay for another day.

Mary began by focusing her efforts on Sala Krauv Primary School, which she describes as “the poorest school in the poorest community in Cambodia”. To encourage school attendance, she hit on the idea of developing a relationship with the local community by bringing everyone together to work on a common project – building a toilet for the school.

“We held a community work day,” says Mary. “All the parents turned up. The mothers prepared a meal while the fathers worked on the project. Even the monks came to join in and bless the work. By evening, the shed had a new roof, water tanks were built and plastered, the toilet was installed and water was piped up from the local pond.”

The community now has a real investment in the school, and the project gave everyone the chance to talk about education and how it could improve their lives. It will help Mary achieve her goal much more quickly – hopefully in time to prevent another generation of children missing out on school all together.

Editor's notes

Article from VSO Lifechanges Magazine