Imagine being asked by your teacher to write an exercise on the blackboard, but you can't reach the board!  It's a common problem in first and second grade classrooms, as six and seven year-old Cambodian children tend to be quite small in size.  To accommodate students, most classrooms have a concrete platform, about 30 cm in height, positioned at the front of the room under the blackboard.  The platform also has cultural significance, keeping the teacher at a higher level than the students, as a means for commanding respect.  Wat Mon Thyean Primary School's two classrooms never had platforms, and they were at the top of the school director's and PTA's lists for school improvements.  In December 2007, SCC funded the materials to construct concrete platforms in each classroom.  The Wat Mon Thyean community contributed labor. 

The young Wat Mon Thyean students are thrilled that they can now reach the blackboards!

A student can barely reach the board:                      Two community members lay brick and concrete:

Students appreciate the finished platform: