The Cambodia Rural School Project
The Lily School
Mr. Sun Heim is a 38-year-old school principal of The Lily School. His house is 2 km from the school. He has three children and his family also does farming. During the rainy season they plant rice and he helps his wife in the rice field when he has free time.
“When I was a student I studied very hard I finished high school in 1989 in Kompong Speu provincial town.” he said. “In 1990-1991, I studied at Kompong Speu (Training Pedagogy School) for one year. I started teaching in 1992 in Toul Srar Kun village which is near the provincial town. In November 2004 I was moved here to teach in The Lily School that was the time that this school was finished construction.” “I was promoted to be the school principal in 2007,” Sun Heim said.
“I like all the School children to come to school, they are happy to study in this very nice concrete building and the school is close to their homes,” he added. In the past there was no school here and children used to go 15 km, near the provincial town. If children have no bicycle they will not go to school, according to Sun Heim.
“I like teaching, I want these students to become teacher like me. I want 5 or 6 of them to be the teachers in the future from these villages,” he said. “Because now I am the only teacher in this village and others teachers are far a way from school, near the provincial town.” “I try and try my best to do this by encourage students with their studies.” “I hope that at least we have 3 or 4 teachers in the next 7 years,” he added.
