EQUIP1: ESCUP

ESCUP conducted a formal Review of program implementation on 6 February 2007 in the Provincial Office of Education (POE) in Kratie. The review marked the end of the first phase of ESCUP, which ended on 31 March 2007. During hte first phase, the program has been able to meet a majority of its targets, particularly in the area of access and community engagement. This has been done mainly through the introduction of a number of dynamic innovations in the state school system that range from the construction of Intermediate Classrooms (ICRs), the use of Community Teachers, promoting systematic health referrals, setting up child-to-child support networks, and Bilingual Classroom Assistants, among others. Among the approximately 70 participants attending the review were senior ministry officials, counterparts from school, districts, and provincial level, representatives of all partner organizations, and a donor delegation from USAID. The program was facilitated by staff from the hosting POE in Kratie and included a progress report by ESCUP's Chief of Party, followed by presentations on program implementation by POE representatives from each of the three provinces. The POE representatives demonstrated a high level of ownership and understanding of the program in their presentations, which was well received by representatives from the central Ministry. The review meeting was presided over by H.E. Nat Bunrouen, Under Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. In the closing remarks, His Excellency expressed appreciation to the ESCUP for supporting remote areas, as investing in education is a means to reduce poverty. He acknowledged the importance of programs such as ESCUP in supporting Education for All (EFA) through provision of new ideas for the national policy on Child Friendly Schools, stating that the Ministry is ready to move from partnership to ownership. With the recent approval by USAID of an extension of the program through to the end of September 2008, a new phase of programming under ESCUP has begun. The overall technical approach of the program will largely be the same as in the first phase. This includes continued financial and technical support to target school clusters at primary school level and lower secondary schools across all four provinces though at reduced levels of assistance in keeping with a desire to move future support to PAP and local sources where possible. Continued support of interventions that promote access and retention will also continue to play a prominent role in the program including outreach to minority groups, ICR construction, and support for child-to-child help networks. Important programmatic themes that will be addressed under ESCUP II relate to three key challenges. These include (i) Improved Educational Quality, (ii) School Governance, and (iii) Sustainability. Attention to each of these themes will characterize much of ESCUP's future programming over the next 18 months.

ESCUP at a Glance
Objective:

To increase access to quality basic education for underserved groups through a decentralized approach
Promotion of children’s rights through support of the Child Friendly School Initiative of MoEYS and its partners.

Program Scope and Target Areas:

Time frame: 3.5 years (2005 - 2008)
3 provinces; Kampong Cham, Kratie, Mondolkiri
146 primary schools - 49,886 children
14 lower secondary schools - 11,565 children

Target Groups:

Minority groups:
- Chams (Kampong Cham)
- Phnong (Mondulkiri)
- Kuoy, Steang, Mil, Phnong (Kratie)
Children with disabilities
Girls
Poor Children
Children out of school

Key Approaches:

Use of School Grants
School-based planning at cluster and secondary school level
Use of Activity Menus for school improvement interventions
Reliance on local committees for direct implementation

Achievements:

School mapping in all schools, 1,533 students re-entered school
Scholarship provision for 5,265 primary school students and 948 secondary school students (25% from minority groups)
Remedial support for 4,529 students with special learning needs
Disability surveys identified 1,839 children (about 3 % of those enrolled), 911 children received treatment
235 Community Teachers trained by ESCUP technical teams and recruited/ managed by local community management boards
Reduction of Pupil-Teacher Ratio in 68% of schools
73% of incomplete schools added one grade
169 students recruited locally from ESCUP supported remote districts for PTTC Scholarship program ( at least 12% from minority groups)
All schools have increased the level of educational relevance by implementation of life skills programs, health orientations, tutoring, libraries, extra-curricular activities such as field trips, student exhibitions, culture centers, market simulations, supplementary Khmer language etc. with a total of 638 activities.
Local life skills programs in 20 clusters

Building the Future:

Villagers in Chour Krang, a Steang minority area in Kratie Province, have expressed their concerns about the lack of educational services in the community. The nearest school is 4 km away through dense forests, which is too far for the youngest children to walk. When the idea of building an Intermediate Classroom (ICR) or temporary school building was first discussed during the annual cluster-planning workshop, community members advocated for allocation of funds for this purpose. Local stakeholders demonstrated a very strong sense of commitment to this intervention by providing labor for the construction of the ICR while ESCUP provided funds for the materials. The new ICR has created a learning opportunity for the youngest children of whom there are about 113 who are now attending school. The ICR is right in the village so that travel distances are short. Now, they will be able to enroll in Grade 1 when they are six years old and do not have to wait until they are old enough to walk the long distance to school. The community has also been involved in the recruitment of a Community teacher, who received training from ESCUP staff in October 2006 and has started teaching in November. Mr. Non Phorn, the deputy village chief of Chour Krang Village, has said that he has been waiting a long time for this opportunity. Even though resources are short in the village, he is glad that the local people prioritized the construction of the new village school because education is a precious thing for all the children in the village.

Children from the Chour Krang village stand outside the construction site of their new ICR.

Children from the Chour Krang village stand outside the construction site of their new ICR.

Empowering Students - A Story of a Student Association:

Seng Lakena is a 14 year old student of Kandol Chrum Primary School and studies in Grade 6. Her father is a moto taxi driver and her mother a farmer. Lakena has two sisters and loves to study. This school year, Lakena has been elected as the chair of the newly established Student Association. She said she felt very proud when she was chosen for this task as her school has more than 1,000 students. It is the first time that the school has set up an association to give a voice to the students to contribute to school improvements. Lakena explains that her Association decided to focus on two main issues: the environment and cultural diversity in the school. The members of the Association hold regular meetings where they discuss their action plans and the progress made. The environment has improved dramatically as a result of the efforts of the Association. They have made gardens, coordinate trash collection, water the plants and flowers and they have made small bamboo benches under the trees for the students. They have also organized a study trip to conduct research about ancient temples in their district, resulting in an exhibition in the Culture Center for all students in the school. Lakena also learned a lot from the study trip that her Association organized to visit Cham families and find out more about their way of life. Lakena hopes that in the future all students in the school understand the importance of a clean and healthy environment. She is also determined to work on increased understanding and respect for the different cultures represented in the school.

Seng Lakena, a student of Kandol Chrum Primary School, points at an exhibit at the Culture Center.

Seng Lakena, a student of Kandol Chrum Primary School, points at an exhibit at the Culture Center.