Care Our School

In some of the most remote parts of Cambodia, indigenous communities are taking ownership of their schools.

Thanks to groups called School Support Committees organized by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport, normal citizens have become important and vital part of the management and life of their primary schools. This School Governance Project is a reminder that our schools are for everyone, and that everyone owns our schools.

In some of the most remote parts of Cambodia, indigenous communities are taking ownership of their schools.

In a remote indigenous village in Cambodia’s North East, a primary school has become the focus for the entire community. Lum Primary is truly the heart of the community.

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All children are keen to learn and attend school, but many face barriers to attendance, especially girls. In Ratanakiri, where school completion rates are a fifth lower than anywhere else in the country, girls are often being left behind.

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A young indigenous student is caught between her desire for further education and the needs of her family. Romas Chech (14), a grade 5 student at Lum Primary, gives us an insight into her daily life, balancing school work with farm work.

Sorl Nherk, a Jarai woman member of her village’s School Support Committee, walks to her family’s farm in Ratanakiri province. “I want my children to have access to education, just like every other child should”, she says. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Romas Chech and her mother harvest rice at their family farm. While many Jarai parents believe education is essential for their children’s future, they insist preserving their culture is as important. Everyday, after Romas Chech returns from school, she walks for over an hour to her family farm, where she helps her mother farm, learning in this way traditional knowledge from her mother. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Rmam Bek, Jarai woman, lost her husband years ago, leaving her alone as the head of her family. Despite the difficulties, she supports her children to go to school: “I want my children to receive an education so they will be proud and respected. Nobody will look down on us”, she says. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Romas Chech, 14, at her school in Lum Village, Ratanakiri Province. “As a girl in my village, I’m supposed to look after my parents instead of going to school, but my mum supports me to get an education so we can have a better future.” ©Erika Pineros / CARE

“Students from indigenous minorities get shy when they can’t pronounce the words in Khmer, this is a big challenge for their education,” Din Rithea, a teacher at Lum village’s school explains. Ratanakiri province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

A girl shows her younger sister how to read during her class at Lum village’s school. Hang Phan, the school director explains that “often students have to look after their younger siblings, which makes it very hard for them to come to school. So they bring them too”. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Sorl Nherk, a Jarai woman member of her village’s School Support Committee, takes a break from cooking to help her son with his homework at their home in a Jarai community in the North East of Cambodia. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Everyday after school, children walk the often-long journeys to help their parents at their family farm. Spending time with the elders also helps them preserve their Jarai language and traditions. While many Jarai parents believe education is essential for their children’s future, they recognise they importance of preserving their culture too. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Sorl Nherk and her husband harvest rice at their family’s land. As a Jarai woman, Sorl Nherk has found a new role in her community by joining the School Support Committee. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Sorl Nherk pokes her head into a classroom during one of her ‘surprise’ visits to the school. As a member of the School Support Committee, she regularly visits the school to check on the attendance of both teachers and students. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Brieng Kapus eats with her siblings during a school break. Children in this Kreung minority are privileged to attend a bilingual school, where Kreung teachers provide Khmer education, making it easier for students to understand the lessons. Krola village, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Brieng Kapus and other Kreung children play hopscotch outside their house during a school break. Children in this Kreung minority are privileged to attend a bilingual school, where Kreung teachers provide Khmer education, making it easier for students to understand the lessons. Krola village, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Brieng Kapus poses with her younger sister and mother outside their home in Ratanakiri province. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Kreung teacher Rin Mom during a lesson at Krola village’s primary school. This school is one of the few bilingual schools in the country, especially set up to help indigenous children understand better, helping their progress at school. “Since we are part of the community, we care more for our school. We are gentle and patient, we use sweet words and encourage our students to be better”, Maow Nangmak, a Kreung teacher says. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Rin Mom, a teacher at the Kreung indigenous school in Krola village, walks out of her classroom with her baby and her son who also attends to school. “When I was a kid I had the opportunity to study, thanks to that, I was chosen to be a teacher in my community”, she says. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Children clean up before the start of school at the Dak Dam primary school. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Children during class at the Dak Dam Primary School. According to the Village Chief, school attendance has improved since the School Support Committee started engaging with the community. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Children play outside during a break from class at the Dak Dam primary school. Ever since the School Support Committee became active and raised funds for a water tank, students at the Dak Dam primary school have been enjoying access to fresh water. According to the school’s director Son Mao, this development wouldn’t be possible without the school support committee. “Through the training, the School Support Committee became more active and involved in the school management and raising funds for the school, especially for the water tank and the water station,” he explains. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Blong Seng (51), School Support Committee member, farmer, member of the Phnong ethnic minority. Mr. Seng asserts that since the School Support Committee became active, the communication between the parents and the school authorities has improved dramatically. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Oeut Buny’s children get ready for school in the early morning. They walk to school every morning in Dak Dam village. Oeut Buny (54) is a School Support Committee member, farmer, and member of the Phnong ethnic minority. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Po Lei (49), who is a member of the school support committee, sends her two grandchildren to the Pu Hoam Primary school. She believes education is necessary if they want to get a good job in the future. This is why she says, she became a member of the School Support Committee and has been working with the school and the community to ensure the best quality education for the children from her village. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Noeng Savorn (65), a School Support Committee member, with his daughter Savorn Phean (25) and school teacher at Pu Hoam Primary school. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Chem Sopheak (32), School principal at Pu Hoam Primary school and her daughter. Sopheak recently attended her fifth DTMT1 Core trainer workshop since April 2015. She says that since passing her knowledge onto School Support Committee members, the budget monitoring has improved and there is more involvement and communication between the community, School Support Committees and schools. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Pyeuk SreyRoth with her children at home. Thanks to the enrolment campaign spearheaded by the School Support Committee SreyRoth enrolled her four year old son Sambath at the Dak Dam primary school. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

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For primary school teacher Den Rithea, and school Director Hang Phan, working in a remote school has been both challenging and rewarding. They talk about the critical role of community in supporting both teachers and students.

Sunset at Lum Primary School. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Jarai indigenous children attend to class in Lum Primary School. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Jarai indigenous children attend to class in Lum Primary School. In Ratanakiri Province, primary school enrolments remain the lowest in the country. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

“In our school, everybody gets involved!” Students, teachers and members of the School Support Committee, all join together every Thursday to clean up their school. Krola Village, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Rin Mom teaches at Krola Primary School. Children in this Kreung minority are privileged to attend a bilingual school, where Kreung teachers provide Khmer education, making it easier for students to understand the lessons. Krola village, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Sorl Nherk sits in a classroom during one of her ‘surprise’ visits to the school. As a member of the School Support Committee, she regularly visits the school to check on the attendance of both teachers and students. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Sorl Nherk and Sal Pouh walk back to their village after a day of farming. As members of Lum Primary School’s School Support Committee, these Jarai women believe they can empower other women to participate more in civic life. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Chay Mai, 68, is a member of Krola Primary School Support Committee. “The School Support Committee leads the school, like parents lead a family. It’s great, because there’s nothing we can’t do without a leader”, she explains. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Rpuoy Khlom is not only one of the eldest Jarai community members, but a member of Lum Primary School Support Committee. As a member, he encourages the younger generations to preserve their culture. “We worry our children will forget what is left of our Jarai culture. There is no traditional hunting or fishing, no wildlife in the forests anymore; our traditional weaving and our identity are also disappearing. All we have left is our spoken Jarai language.” Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

A member of the School Support Committee fixes a fence at Lum Primary School in Ratanakiri Province. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

The traditional Jarai community building serves as venue for the School Support Committee training. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

School Support Committee members attend a training session at Lum Village in Ratanakiri Province. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

The end of the day at Lum Primary School. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Girls play the Skipping game during a school break at Krola Primary School. Children in this Kreung minority are privileged to attend a bilingual school, where Kreung teachers provide Khmer education, making it easier for students to understand the lessons. Krola village, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Sorl Nherk on her daily walk to fetch water. As a Jarai woman, Nherk believes though the School Support Committee, she can empower other women in her village to participate more in civic life. Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. ©Erika Pineros / CARE

Children prepare for class at the Dak Dam primary school. Since CARE trainings, the School Support Committee has been monitoring students’ and teachers’ attendance in order to ensure quality education for all. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Children during class at the Dak Dam Primary School. The school has reaped benefits of an active School Support Committee, whose activities led to improved teacher and student attendance. After raising funds for a freshwater tank, the Committee is now planning to construct a reading room. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Pjeoy Phaney, from the Phnong ethnic minority is a School Support Committee member. She checks the school enrolment forms with primary school teacher Chas Phallen (26). Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

A teacher explains a lesson during class at the Dak Dam Primary School. Teacher attendance has improved since the School Support Committee became more actively involved in how the school is run. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Buny Kasrey (14) during class at the Dak Dam Primary School. When she grows up, Kasrey would like to become a doctor or a health worker, which is why she is glad the teacher attendance at her primary school has improved this year. “Last year I studied with a male teacher and he hardly came to school. This year it is different.” Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Sun Mao, 35 years old, school director and School Support Committee member. Mao is very proud of his school and the recent improvements in its infrastructure. “If the school doesn’t look clean, the children won’t come to school, so it is important that it is clean and functional.” Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Buny Thurey (11) gets dressed for school. Oeut Buny ‘s children get ready for school in the early morning. They walk to school, which is located in the Dak Dam village, every morning. Thurey’s commitment to education is such that he never missed a day at school – he wants to become a doctor or a health worker. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Children do exercise before class at the Pu Hoam Primary school. They will soon be able to enjoy a beautiful garden at their school – since the School Support Committee members learnt about their roles during CARE’s training, they raised 1 million riel so they can erect a fence that will mark out the school garden and protect it from animals. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

Ev Sokhoeun, Vice Villege chief, the most active member of the School Support Committee, has grandchildren at the school. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CARE

After classes children leave the Pu Hoam Primary school. Since CARE facilitated trainings of School Support Committee members the primary school witnessed many changes – a dramatically increased enrolment rate being just one of them. Mondul Kiri, Cambodia. © Nicolas Axelrod / Ruom / CAR

The School Support Committee of Lum Primary, comprises of six community members, all elected from their community. It is a role they are all proud to perform, as two members of the committee explain.

Where communities have taken ownership or their School chools they are having a positive impact.The work of School Support Committees has contributed to increased enrollment rates, better school infrastructure and lower drop our rates.

1. School Support Committees as a bridge between schools and communities

2. Support from DTMT1 trainers leads to changes in school management in Mondul Kiri province

3. Lower drop out rates attributed to increased capacity of School Support Committees

4. School Support Committee brings access to water to local school

5. Dak Dam community in Mondul Kiri province gets serious about education

6. Monitoring teachers’ absenteeism leads to improved attendance and better education opportunities for students

7. School Support Committee raises funds, improves school infrastructure and sets example for other women

8. Increased capacity of School Support Committees leads to higher enrollment rates

The dedication and hard work of School Support Committees is translating into better education opportunities for the children of Mondul kiri and Ratanak Kiri provinces.Have a look at some of their success stories

Following School Support Committee training,
primary school report

Increased primary
education enrollment

Improved primary
school management

Decreased drop
out rates

Increased capacity of School Support Committees
has positively affected

48,791
Students

23,273
Women and girls

38.009
ethnic minority students

291
School

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The School Governance Project is supported by the Capacity Development Partnership Fund (CDPF).

CARE has been working with indigenous communities in Cambodia for many years.

CARE started to implement multilingual education in the north-east of Cambodia in 2002. Over the years this program has developed to encompass support ranging from early childhood to secondary education, with a particular focus on girls.

This work has been possible with the generous support of the Australian Government and many private donors.

Learn more about CARE's work in Cambodia

Following School Support Committee training, primary school report

Increased capacity of School Support Committees has positively affected

Following School Support Committee training,
primary school report

Increased capacity of School Support Committees
has positively affected