Studying
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic all over the world, thus all schools in Cambodia both public and private have closed by the order of the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) since 16 March2020. However, the MoEYS suggested the primary school (grade 1 to grade 6) to divide students into groups for the student who lives close to each other. One group is about 5-6 students in a village, the group may use any place for studying such as… under villager’s house, under the tree, village library, pagoda…etc. The small class will start from 08.00-10.00 am for once a week. The teacher will provide some exercise to the students after class and will collect it back next week. The subject mostly focuses on Khmer literature and Mathematics but sometimes social science as well. Also, the students have to take monthly exam.
About the secondary school (grade 7 to grade 9), the students learning as a group which arranged by the student who lived close to each other in a village. There are also 5-7 students in a group and start from 08.00-10.00 am. from Monday to Friday. Among of them, one student who has a smartphone will be selected as a group leader who responses for receiving and sharing every exercise from the teacher via Messenger to other students. However, if the student who has a smartphone, they can study at home by themselves too.
About the student in grade 10 to grade 12, if the student who has a smartphone, they can study through Microsoft Team that arranged by the school. They learn from Monday to Saturday fro 07.00 to 11.00 am. The teacher will provide exercise through Microsoft Team also. When the students finished the exercise, they can take the picture for their teachers. If they have some question, they can ask the teacher while the teacher teaching.
As observed in KAKO villages, most of the students have no smartphone to use, lack of internet and lack of budget to top up in smartphone.
As of the MoEYS announcement on 25 August 2020. All schools will re-open on 07th. September 2020 with the suggestion as follow:
•For the preschool class: The class will re-open on 07th. September 2020 and will completed at the end of November 2020. All classes have to follow the guideline of the Ministry of Health such as…wash student’s hands with soap, provide face masks…students distancing…etc.
•Primary classes (grade 1-6): The classes also will re-open on 07th. September 2020 and will completed in December 2020. The school have to divide the student into a group, each group will study at school for 2 days/week. The subject will focus on Khmer literature and Mathematics. The rest day, the student can learn through online (TV, MoEYS’s facebooks page etc.)
•The student in grade 7,8,10 and 11: They can study through online (Microsoft Team, TV, MoEYS’s Facebooks page etc.). After they have the second semester, they will have a break to wait for the new academic year
•The student in grade 9 and 12: They have to study at school from Monday to Friday from 7.00-11.00 am. These classes will be finished in December 2020.
•The new academic year of all classes will start on 11 January 2021.
As observed in KAKO villages, most of the students have no smartphone to use, cannot access to the internet and lack of money to top up in smartphone as well.
Living
The living condition of the students during the coronavirus pandemic is a little bit harder due to their parents have no job to do. Therefore, the parents just stayed home to feed the cows, ducks, or chickens. Beside the student’s study by online or by group, most students go to the rice field with their parents or stayed home to look after their brother or sister. Some students read books or do housework when they have free time. Mostly they studying at night.
Last month, we have one student lives in Snor village had Chikungunya virus. Her parents took her to treat at Puok hospital, later she got well. We always suggested to the students during we provided monthly donation every time to sleep in the mosquito net to avoid from Chikungunya virus, Malaria or Dengue fever.
