Schools are Open Again!

The school closure had been a particularly challenging period for both teachers, students and families, especially those who live in the rural areas, the very students that PeopleStories is reaching out to help.  

It was with great excitement that the students and teachers went back to school!  Sometimes we tend to forget how much of a social melting pot schools are when it comes to students talking to their friends, playing and having fun. These social skills learned in their formative years are as important as formal education in subjects like Math and Khmer.  
 
For teachers, the school reopening could mean taking stock and understanding how much did students manage to progress learning at home even if most of them did not have access to online learning? Unsurprisingly teacher Socheata shared ruefully, “Students are happy to see their friends.  But teachers are unhappy to find that the students had forgotten some of the lessons taught previously!” ​

Yes, the teachers are not only working hard to ensure that the students are keeping up in the learning, but also drumming the importance about ‘3 do not and 3 protect’, the new safety standards to keep everyone safe. The ‘3 do not’s’ are not staying in crowded areas; not going out unnecessarily; not staying in enclosed area with no air circulation.  And the ‘3 protects’ mean to wear the mask in the right way; to wash the hands frequently and to keep a gap from one another. ​

Teacher Bunly also highlighted some key differences between the school reopening now and last year, “We now have 80% of the students vaccinated and this high vaccination rate has made it possible for the students to return to school. On top of that, schools have divided the students into groups of 15 to ensure social distancing. Everyone had to bring food and drinks from home too.” 
 
With all the safety measures in place, the first week of reopening had been a happy and safe one for all.  The teachers focused on helping with the revision of the learning that had been carried out online.  With the fluid and evolving situation, both our teachers and students are working to make the learning meaningful and enjoyable for all. ​

Want to give us a helping hand supporting the dedicated teachers and students? https://bit.ly/PS100Dreams202021 
 
Story written by: Volunteer Bok Hoon Ong ​