On Friday November 21st the Kok Russey Kang Cherng Community gathered to celebrate the opening of four new classrooms and three new toilets at Wat Mon Thyean Primary School. The ceremony was attended by over 300 people and included speeches by the Commune Chief, the District Governor, the Director of the District Office of Education, the school director and SCC’s programme officer, Jay. The community’s ownership of the school was a common theme that ran through each of the speeches.
The monks of Wat Mon Thyean pagoda performed a blessing at the ceremony. Then the classrooms were officially opened as representatives from the community, local authorities and SCC took turns cutting through a red ribbon. After the official program was complete, the community cooked a meal in the school's kitchen and celebrated their achievement with traditional music and dancing, long into the afternoon.
There's no doubt the community members of Kok Russey Kang Cherng have a strong sense of ownership for their new school. Dozens of villagers spent all day Thursday setting up for the ceremony. The night prior to the opening, the school director, the village chief, the assistant village chief, other members of the school support committee, and the police, slept at the school to protect their hard work.
The construction of the classrooms and toilets, costing a total of US$61,000, was completed the week before the opening ceremony. Since building started in late June, the school support committee closely monitored construction to ensure the new building’s quality; the community also contributed labour and US$250 towards the total cost of construction.
Previously an “incomplete school,” only offering grades 1 through 4 in two run-down wooden classrooms, Wat Mon Thyean now welcomes students from kindergarten to grade 5. Grade 6 will be added in the next academic year. Previously, many Kok Russey Kang Cherng children failed to complete primary school because they needed to travel 3-4 km along high-traffic roads to finish their final years of schooling.
Enrolment at Wat Mon Thyean has increased from from 135 to 190 students in the 2008-09 school year, a direct result of the construction.
SCC is currently seeking US$124,000 in funding for two additional classroom construction projects, needs which have been identified by the communities served by Phoum Stung and Khnar Primary Schools:
http://www.justgiving.com/phoumstungschool
http://www.justgiving.com/khnarprimaryschool
