The Cambodia Rural School Project
The Alexander Brest School
Mr. Sam Than is the 35-year-old school director. He lives in the school village. He is married and has three children, two of them study at the new school.
“I graduated from the teachers’ school in Pursat province in 1987. After graduating, I was dispatched to teach children in this district, but in a different commune. In 1993, I was transferred to this school, and a year later I was promoted to be the school director. When I was a normal teacher I taught first, second, third, fourth and fifth grade classes.”
“Now I think that most of my students are weak in mathematics because they do not learn or study by themselves at home after school. To cope with this problem I order all teachers in my school to re- arrange where students sit. I told them to put a weak student sitting next to the good student, so that the weak student can learn or ask the good student whenever he or she doesn’t understand.”
“As the school director, I meet some difficulties such as the shortage of teachers to meet the increasing number of students. Since the new school has been built, more students have enrolled. Last year, there were 350 student while this year there are 392.”
