During the last weeks of February, Wat Mon Thyean Primary School students were seen hauling bamboo shoots to school, just after the roosters started their morning crowing.  The bamboo is the community's contribution to the construction of a fence that protects the school's new garden, where fourth and fifth grade students are learning basic agriculture skills.

As identified by the Wat Mon Thyean community, parents in the area tend not to place value on education, contributing to students' low school attendance rates. Parents, many of whom are uneducated themselves, don't necessarily see value or relevancy in the standard national curriculum.  

Per the community-driven school development plan, SCC is supporting the Wat Mon Thyean school support committee and teachers to initiate a life skills class, which makes education relevant to life in Kok Russey Kang Cherng village, the community served by Wat Mon Thyean School.  In the class, grade 4 and 5 students are learning to grow morning glory, a green stalky vegetable. 

SCC has provided 10 truckloads of soil (shown below), seeds, watering cans, buckets and nails (for the fence) -- a US$67 value -- to support the start of the class. 

The first crop of morning glory has already been planted and can now be seen growing in four nice, neat rows in the school yard. After the morning glory has been harvested by the students, it will supplement canned fish and rice (supported by the World Food Programme) to provide well-balanced breakfasts to students through the school's feeding programme.

Ultimately, the school support committee intends to help students start morning glory gardens at home, where parents can see first-hand the very valuable skills that their children are learning at school. 

Stay tuned for more news on the class, students, and crops!