Angkor Project Sister School

Onslow School joined the Angkor Project in 2016 and to date have donated money to enable the purchase of a desktop computer & printer, electricity connection, 4 book closets, plastic tables for the kindy, playground renovations, renovation of the library, fans, wooden desks & chairs, as well as a whiteboards and ink for their printer.

BACKGROUND

During the period 1975-1979 the Khmer Rouge revolution in Cambodia, led by Pol Pot, destroyed the education system through the elimination of most teachers and school administrators and the destruction of schooling infrastructure. Approximately 75-80% of educated people were executed. In subsequent years to 1998, through Vietnamese and civil wars, there was little rebuilding of the school system.  It is only since 1998, once the peace had begun, that the restoration was beginning to occur. 

At that stage, Cambodian education was characterised by low levels of participation, insufficient classrooms resulting in shift systems, 70% of schools without drinking water or toilets, most schools without electricity, high class size averages of approx 50-60, a lack of trained teachers and school administrators, very low salary levels for school staff, and in many schools, very few books or teaching materials. 

Cambodia is one of the poorest of the Asian nations. The Kampong Speu Province, situated 50 kilometres west of Phnom Penh, is one of the poorest of the provinces. 

On 2 May 2006, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between the then WA Department of Education and the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport flagging the intent to work collaboratively to benefit children, teachers and education administrators in both Western Australia and Cambodia. On 6 October 2006, the signing of an Aide Memoire demonstrated that the project had begun through the establishment of sister school relationships and a sister district relationship between the Department of Education and the Provincial Education Office in Kampong Speu Province. 

AIMS OF THE ANGKOR PROJECT

The aims of the ANGKOR project are to:

• promote cooperation in education between the Department of Education in Western Australia and the Ministry of Education Youth and Sport in Cambodia;
• build mutual capacity in the Cambodian and Western Australian education systems; and
• establish cultural awareness between Western Australia and Cambodia.

PRINCIPLES THAT UNDERPIN THE ANGKOR PROJECT

The following principles have been agreed to:

• Strategies will benefit children, teachers and education administrators in both Cambodia and Western Australia.
• Strategies implemented are consistent with the direction of the MOU and the Aide Memoire
• Implementation of the strategies will be overseen by the Project Steering Committee and monitored and supported locally through the Angkor Management Committee the Kampong Speu Provincial Office administration. 

CURRENT STATUS OF THE ANGKOR PROJECT

The Angkor project commenced with the establishment of three sister school relationships and one sister district relationship.  Currently there are 24 sister schools in Cambodia supported by 35 schools in Western Australia.  Morley Senior High School was one of the original schools to be involved and is still very involved with the project 16 years later.  Since 2006 WA schools have raised over $550,000 for their sister schools and now sister schools have drinking water fountains, water tanks, toilet blocks, electricity, playground and sporting equipment, classroom furniture, improved learning and teaching materials and teachers and administration have been involved in professional development to improve teaching and learning and leadership strategies.

Strategies to support sister schools in Cambodia are:

• the provision of drinking water and toilets to sister schools;
• the provision of teaching and learning materials to sister schools;
• the provision of electricity and information technology to sister schools;
• professional development for Australian and Cambodian educators;
• a study tour each January which involves teaching in Cambodian sister schools;
• quality assurance reporting each year by the Kampong Speu Provincial Office and overseen by a representative of the Angkor Management Committee on site in Cambodia.
• a partnership with Growth Coaching Australia to provide coaching for teachers and administrators.

Student fundraising at Onslow School enable the implementation of many of the above strategies.