User:Duncan A Stuart

Savong's School
Savong's School is a modest three-classroom school that offers free language education to rural children living 25 minutes East of Siem Reap, Cambodia, home of the famed Angkor Wat temples.

The school was founded by Svay Savong who grew up in Siem Reap during Cambodia's years of deep impoverishment in the 1980s, and his motivation is to give young people the opportunity to better themselves through education: especially language education in view of the employment opportunities in the region that have come through tourism.

The first incarnation of the school, a classroom annexe to his father's house near the Killing Fields Pagoda, Siem Reap, attracted volunteers from several countries including Japan, the USA, Australia and New Zealand and the initial start-up funding for this makeshift school came from a Japanese businessman.

Savong's dream however was to build a more significant school, serving more children further out of town where poverty is greater, and educational opportunities fewer. In 2005 land was found at Don Teav Village, near the Rolous Group of temples, east of Siem Reap, and building commenced primarily with support from people in Japan and New Zealand.

In September 2005 the school was opened. It is a mainstream Cambodian style of school building, and the students who come here do so voluntarily. There is a State School not far away, but it does not offer free language education.

The school is a work in progress, and it marks a 21st century style of program, with support from overseas conducted directly via email, and without administrative layers. While the school is managed on a day to day basis by Svay Savong and a group of five local teachers, guidance come from volunteers and supporters overseas in New Zealand, Japan, England and the USA.

In 2008 the school was able to introduce certificated courses for students, initially using local qualifications, recognised by the Ministry of Education.

Also in 2008 thanks to a very generous US family, the school was able to add a library and computer classroom, built in July 2008. In January 2009 with new computers and furniture the small computer classroom was opened for classes - with students being taught one-to-one basic computing skills.