Holding on to the dream of becoming a teacher, Sim Sreykheth has refused to continue following her parents to work and has finally returned to school last December 2021.

 

“I did not want to go and work with my mother. I always wanted to go to school. I want to learn and become a teacher. I want to help and teach other small children in my village,” said Sreyketh, an 8-year-old girl who at the time of reporting studied in grade 2 at Preah Norodom Sihamoni primary school located in Ses Slab village, Chhnuk Trou Commune, Kampong Chhnang’s Boribo District. 

 

This school was among the 32 target schools Save the Children has worked in collaboration with Provincial and District Offices of Education, Youth and Sport to implement the Safe Back to School – Pathways in Educational Equity and Resilience (PEER) project, with funding support from Save the Children Korea in July 2021.

 

The girl, Sreykheth, is currently living with her parents and two younger brothers. Her father, Sok Sim, is a 40-year-old fisherman and her mother, Meas Chandeth, is a 35-year-old seasonal worker. The duo could earn 50,000 Riels (about 12.50$) per day during the rainy season, but in the dry season, they could make only 10,000 Riels (2.50$), which was difficult for them to survive.

 

Sreykheth’s parents believe that their daughter has had difficulty remembering things since she was small, and therefore, they did not care about her study and often took her with them.

 

Though Sreykheth is not a grade A student, she studies hard and never gives up on trying or learning, said Eak Socheata, Sreykheth’s teacher, “I observe she forgot what she had learnt easily, so I paid close attention to remind her. She always listens carefully and also asks when she has questions.”

 

Unlike most students who could attend online classes through their electronic devices during the frequent school closures in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, Sreykheth went out to work with her parents they could not afford to pay for a smartphone.

 

Sreykheth and some of her classmates were able to study from homework sheets in which their teacher distributed twice a week and collected from them at the front gate of the school during those times of school closure to ensure social distancing. 

 

As the COVID-19 situation improved last year, Mr. Soeng Sambona, the school principal, noted that the school reopened in November 2021, but only 70% of students returned to classes.

“About 30% of students did not show up at school because they went out remotely with their parents for fishing work,” he said.

 

However, Mr. Sambona said with support from the project, the school conducted a safe back to school campaign last December and successfully mobilised up to 90% of students, including Sreykheth. 

 

He added that the project has also provided capacity building and training to teachers and delivered a moderate amount of hygiene kits and study materials to students and teachers.

 

Having the opportunity to return to school and to receive learning materials, Sreykheth happily said she is committed to learning and pursuing higher classes and degrees.

 

“I did not want to go to work at the fishing area. It’s hot, and I always cut my fingers with a knife. I want to learn more and more,” she said.