The Cambodia Rural School Project
The Adler Family School
Mr. Thom Bunthong is the school director of the Adler Family School. He is thirty-nine years old.
He, like most of the other villagers here, is ethnic Tom Puon.
He is married and have five children, and four of them study at the new school.
His house is near the school and it takes him only five minutes to get to the school.
| On himself:
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“I graduated from the regional teacher school in the provincial town of Stung Treng in 1985. After graduation, I was sent to teach at a primary school in the communal town of Seda in Lum Phat district, Ratanakiri. In 1992 I was promoted to school director and sent to work at this school. This is my home village where I was born and brought up.”
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| On teaching:
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“Most of my students are good in mathematics, and then Khmer. I like teaching mathematics because when people go to buy things, they need to know how to calculate. Mathematics is important.”
“The third and fourth grade students can speak Khmer, but those in the first and second grade cannot speak. I hope that in the next five years all of the student can speak Khmer.”
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| On the new building:
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“In the old wooden school, we had problems with the rain. Water would drip from the roof and both teachers and students would have to leave the school. Otherwise we would get wet. With the new school building, studying and teaching has become more comfortable and the number of students has increased to 115, as compared to last year’s 105. So far, students can study only till the fourth grade. Next year, however, Department of Education will send two more teachers to this school so that we can teach the fifth grade as well..” |
