SLM’s Children backed at School!

Hi dear friends!

Been such a long time. I have no excuses, though! Finally SLM’s children at backed at schools after about three months’ summer vacation. Unlike the schools where I studied, all public schools in Cambodia end  academic year by the end of June every year, followed by a long summer vacation. This means that the children, teachers and the parents have enough time to prepare for the next academic year. Of course, this system of education in the public schools doesn’t effect the evening English schools which is booming in Cambodia for the last couple of years.

The schools at SLM; LawrenceRosa (LRMS) Memorial School at the Buffalo village and Primary school at the Mission House reopened at the middle of September and at the beginning of October respectively and now we can hear lots of noise around, making the school compounds more lively and cheerful.

The students at both the schools have recieved their textbooks, notebooks, and other study materials on time and the children at the schools are happy to be backed at school for another year of challenges and hope. The new students at the LRMS have also recieved set of uniforms but the students at SLM mission house could not get one due to financial problem of the mission. Please keep this in your prayers.

This year, the number of students at LRMS is less than last year. Last year we had over 170 students but this year we have only about 160 students including the new comers. This means that the school at LRMS has lost many senior students. You must be wondering why! The fact is that, the famous Mong Rithy’s Oil Palm farm has been extended until the middle of the Buffalo village. This offers a golden opportunity for the villagers to make money by working in the farm. And the daily wage being so attractive, the parents and the students think that it would be good idea to make some money for themsleves. However, this opportutnity also distracts the young boys and the girls in the village from study. In other words, instead of learning and preparing themselves for their good future life, they are being lured to make money for the moment. Of course, we don’t deny the fact that the poor families in the village need the money for living.

SLM also appointed a new teacher for the LRMS, beginning from the month of September this year. The new teacher is happy with his teaching job! Let’s keep this school in our prayers. SLM and Gil have a plan to build a larger school building for these children. We are praying for around $39,000.00 US for this project.

The school at the SLM’s Mission compound has a different story though. There are only about 65 students including the new comers, little less than last year. Some senior students stopped to work in order to make money for their families and a few of them joined in public and private schools. Most of the students at SLM’s school are from Fishermen village and Khuliang luer village. The school picked them up from their homes and take them back after the school everyday. SLM has also appointed three more new teachers to teach at the school. It has 7 classes; Nursery to grade 6.

SLM is trying to improve it’s schools by imphasizing on quality teaching and proper disciplining of the students at schools. Besides, we need to improve the teachers at SLM by appointing qualified teacher and organizing some trainings or by sending the teachers to the training offered by the Education Department of Cambodia.

As usual, the evening English classes are in full swing. But it is also unfortunate to say that SLM lost 90% of students in the FUNCTIONS OF AMERICAN ENGLISH class in the last 12 months. SLM invited a teacher from Canada to teach this class but the students did not understand/follow her teaching and were disappointed and dropped the course is being the main reason. However, the rest is okey and doing well.

Thanking you and God bless you all

Rev. Jonah Amer

October 26th. 2008