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Child-Friendly Schools in Cambodia
The Child-Friendly Schools Iniative has reached far flung reaches of Cambodia, bringing progressive educational practices to local children. Shotlist: You're watching UNICEF Television. It's a little after dawn and Chea Bora and his sister Chea Sok Lin are getting ready for school. Their mother, Yuon Lek washes her baby. She has six children in all but the two oldest boys, 11 and 16, live and work elsewhere. The eldest went to school for a short time but dropped out. None of her other children has ever gone to school. More than a third of Cambodian children aged 5-14 work. Now, he's starting school along with his 6 year old sister. Their mother walks them to school, the two youngest siblings in tow. The school the children are attending is called Reachea Nukol. It's in remote Stung Teng province, a poor undeveloped corner of Cambodia on the Mekong River near the Laotian border. Reachea Nukol offers an exciting learning experience to its students. It's a new kind of child-friendly school promoted by UNICEF and other development partners. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Bridle, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia: "Making education more inclusive. Making education more child-centred and getting away from a lot of the regimentation that tends to happen in classrooms. Lay Nong recently completed a special course on child-friendly schools. SOUNDBITE: (Khymer) Lay Nong, First Grade Teacher: "Before I received training in Child-friendly schools there was corporeal punishment for children. Now that's gone and children are involved in the positive process of learning. Clean water is provided. Parents are invited to observe classes. Since Chea Bora has never gone to school before he is starting first grade with his 6-year-old sister, also in school for the first time. Often older kids get left behind and fail to catch up but Bora's teacher is working hard to prevent this. Chea Bora wouldn't be in school at all if it weren't for the aspect of children-friendly schools – Child seeking. Sam Anne leads a community-wide initative – seeking children out of school. She maps where all the school age children live and encourages parents to enroll their daughters and sons. Sam Anne visited Chea Bora's mother, Huon Lek, before school started. SOUNDBITE (Khymer) Huon Lek, Mother: "She told me that my older children should go to school. If they are uneducated. If they cannot read like me then it is hard to find a job. When they are educated it will be easier for them to find good jobs and they will have better lives. You've been watching UNICEF Television. For more information go to unicef.org. UNITE FOR CHILDREN. Shotlist: 1. Wide shot, Chea (pron: Chee-uh) Bora putting on school uniform 2. Wide shot, Chea Bora and his sister Chea Sok Lin getting ready for school 3. Various shots, mother washing baby 4. Wide shot, mother dressing baby 5. Med shot, two bothers waiting to go to school 6. Various shots, mother accompanying children to school 7. Various shots, children going to school 8. Wide shot, young children clapping together in classroom 9. Wide shot, children together in classroom 10. Med shot, young students in child-friendly classroom 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Richard Bridle, UNICEF Representative in Cambodia: "making education more inclusive, making education more child- centered and getting away from a lot of the regimentation that tends to happen in classrooms." 12. Med shot, teacher holding up drawings in classroom 13. Various shots, children in classroom 14. SOUNDBITE (Khymer) Lay Nong, First Grade Teacher: "Before I received training in child-friendly schools there was corporeal punishment for the children now it's gone and children are involved in the positive process of learning." 15. Med shot, child drinking from UNICEF pitcher of water 16. Med shot, mother observing classroom 17. Med shot, teacher explaining diagram 18. Med shot, Chea Bora and Chea Sok Lin in school 19. Various shots, teacher helping children write in school 20. Pan right, children in playground on slide 21. Wide shot, woman and children walking through field 22. Med shot, woman walking towards house 23. Close up, hands arranging firewood under pot 24. Close up, Houn Lek cooking 25. Wide shot, Houn Lek standing up in front of fire 26. Wide shot, Houn Lek and family 27. Close up, baby 28. SOUNDBITE (Khymer) Houn Lek, Mother: She told me that my older children should go to school. If they are uneducated and they cannot ready like me then it is hard to find a job. When they are educated, it will be easier for them to find good jobs and they will have better lives." 29. Close up, Chea Sok, small girl 30. Wide shot, family eating together 31. Close up, small girl, Chea Sok Due to problems with spam only SalfordOnline members can now leave comments. 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