Rural school celebrates students passing with top honors in Cambodia

In Cambodia, a Catholic village school rejoices as eight students from Chamroeun Vichea High School (CVHS) passed out with Grade A from the High School Diploma Examination 2021 results declared on January 14, 2022.

CVHS is a Catholic educational institution established to help rural children in Cambodia. The Catholic school strives to provide free and quality education with four schools in different locations: the main branch in Prey Veng province, the second branch and the third branch in Tbong Khmum province. The fourth branch is located in Kampong Cham provincial town.

The eight students from CVHS were among the 1,753 students in Cambodia to receive Grade A for the Diploma Examination 2021.  CVHS is located in the Prey Veng province, southeast of Cambodia.

In Khmer, the local language of Cambodia, Chamroeun Vichea means growth in knowledge. The objective of the CVHS is not only to reach success in final exams but to help students grow in the love of knowledge.

"The education system at CVHS was better than the school I had attended before, both in terms of education, knowledge and behavior," said Chan Kim Long, CVHS student who earned A Grade A in the High School Diploma Examination.

During the three years he studied at CVHS, Kim Long added that he received attention from teachers and school management as received at his home.

Commenting on the study time, Kim Long said no matter how long time it takes, the lesson is "completed and consistently, there is no gap."

After graduating, Chan Kim Long will continue his bachelor's degree in Phnom Penh in Information Technology (IT).

"I know how to share knowledge, work in a team with teachers and we are very close to each other, which is different from the school I was enrolled in earlier," said Ung Onnanita, who also passed with Grade A honor for the same school.

Ung Onnanita added that people just see the gestures and the way she talks. They already know the school she is studying.

Onanita expressed gratitude to her teachers, who helped her achieve the top grade. She said even with the difficulty of online classes, and the teachers were really present to achieve the best in the students.

"Study hard" is what Onanita told the next generation of 12th-grade students.

Onanita confessed, "no matter what the school is, teachers always give us good knowledge and experience. The students need to strive to acquire knowledge and develop themselves to get good results in the future."

CVHS was established in 2008 with three classrooms from grades 10 to 12 and currently has 135 students. There are 12 generations of graduates from CVHS, with 540 former students.

In the exam year 2021-2022, CVHS has 45 high school students,  of which eight secured grade A, 10  passed with grade B, 16 in C, 33 in category D and one did not make the mark.

CVHS has been receiving honors for many years.

"Despite the presence of Covid-19, all students paid attention to online learning, even in some places where the use of internet was challenging. The students who do not have internet access came to the school to do their work," said Sister Ang Sangwat from the congregation of the Lovers of the Cross.

Sister Ang Sangwat, on the school's advisory council, stated that the teacher-student relationship contributes towards good results.

"Only the teacher or the student alone cannot get such good results; this is because both teachers and students have a close relationship, good results are possible."

The nun said that CVHS had helped many poor students to get an education and recommended that they strive to learn, follow school rules and participate in various activities in society.

Sister Sangwat said that on every school holiday, there are programs such as garbage collection in various areas. Every. Every Saturday and Sunday, the school conducts programs in the villages to teach poor primary school students.

Due to the need for education in the Kampong Cham prefecture, the bishop has allowed the establishment of more school branches for students in the diocese, regardless of religion or group.

Father Alberto Caccaro, a Catholic priest of the Pontifical Institute of Foreign Missions, established CVHS in 2008 intending to provide access to quality education to rural people in Cambodia, who were physically isolated from the mainland and had financial constraints.

With imputes from Heam Sok Khun and Kagnha Keo.