The Cambodia Rural School Project
The Patrick and Jackie Donnelly School
Mr. Tit Chomnan is the 21-years-old school director of The Patrick and Jackie Donnelly School. He is a state teacher and lives in the village. He is single.
In 2003 he graduated from 10th grade. After graduating he attended teaching pedagogy training for two years in Streung Treng province. He started working in this school on October 2005 as the school principal.
All school children feel very happy to come to school in the nice new building, the newly appointed principal said. He is very happy to teach the children too. There was only non-formal education in the village before this school was built. Children and adults wanting to study had to attend provisionary classes in the evening time after work.
It is the first time that a proper school was built. The children now come to school everyday, following classes in 1st grade to 3rd grade. Tit Chomnan said “Some children attend school regularly, but other children don’t understand the importance of education and they don’t go to school. Most the children however, try to understand and participate in school enrollment”. “I expect that the children who initially did not attend school will enroll in school sooner or later this year,” he added.
He continued: “As I am the school director, I often go and explain to the villagers that they must send their children to school”.
