High School teacher wants to make permanent difference to Cambodia
No, don't worry about my ego.YaTingPom wrote:Whoa. That's going to trample on your ego somewhat!Kachang wrote:Well.... Everyone has the right to have his/ her dreams and ideals, but the chance this teacher is going to make a change in Cambodia while being here is nearly zero.ផោមក្លិនស្អុយ wrote:The difference is that he is a professional and is volunteering within his professional sphere.lordofmisrule wrote:He is well intentioned, but so are the gap year students building orphanages, it does not make what they do any more effective but hey I guess its the starfish syndrome, it may make a difference to some and that may be enough.
Not sure many gap year students are qualified or experienced builders.
I came to Cambodia as a professional in education, I tried as hard as I could for 25 months to make a change for the good in local education, but Cambodia changed me more than I changed Cambodia.
That's like telling someone to not bother doing something, like setting up a business or building a shed, because you tried it and failed.
I say good on this bloke.
Can't believe the bitterness sometimes.
Well actually I can as I live here amongst all the pisshead expats.
This is not about not bothering, this is about aid or support being effective. Assuming you will be effective in making a change for the good in local education in two months time in the UK holiday season (most government schools are about to close in Cambodia... Does he know?) without any experience in the country, without any experience with the education system, without speaking the language is what I consider a bit unrealistic. And I have been there for two years, so I pretend to know a little bit about it.
But give the guy a break, just let him try and make an effort.
Many tried before him. Over the last 20 years many made an effort, and billions have been spent, and we all know how government schools are performing nowadays, don't we? So you can draw your own conclusions about the effectiveness of all the support and aid in the past, and try to predict how effective he will be.
You're overthinking it.
pew, pew, pew, pew!
They're going to coach teachers and yet there is no indication that they have the capacity to do so. The Guarian report states "A MIDDLEWICH High School teacher wants to make a ‘permanent difference in a former war-torn country". No mention that he is anything other than a teacher himself.Joon wrote: EDIT: Just visited the LRTT Cambodia page. So, of course, it is in Siem Reap... https://lrtt.org/fellowships/cambodia
Also telling that they got reviews from the Fellows who go there to coach but they don't have testimonials from the Cambodian teachers who are receiving the coaching.
Agreed.Joon wrote: My "grumble" is not aimed at his intentions but at the way he chose to present Cambodia in absolute words to make his summer holiday project sound more altruistic than it really is. White Savior complex is one of my most detested pet peeves.
Many NGOs inflate the sense of importance of what they are actually doing, and project a sense of self importance to prospective recruits that makes them think they will achieve far more than in reality is possible. In the end its nothing more than "development tourism" Play down the capacity of the target country and inflate the ego of prospective applicant. Then charge them for doing so
From LRTT site:
LRTT works with a small number of schools that are spread around the city of Siem Reap.........
The goal is to grow the capacity of teachers in the Siem Reap area so students have access to a better quality education. We deliver the LRTT course to teachers which introduces key areas of pedagogy and how to implement these in lessons. Each Fellow works with a small number of teachers, visits them in their schools, observe their lessons then give coaching on improvements to their teaching.
How does this interface with:
UNICEF supported the piloting of Child-Friendly Schools in six provinces. Integration of this approach in the
pre-service teacher training curriculum at all 18 teacher-training colleges as well as training for school directors and teachers on child-centred education has enhanced the quality of learning for children. By the 2007/2008 school year, the Child-Friendly Schools Initiative had already reached its 2010 target of 70 percent of schools in six provinces, catalysing a national expansion to cover remaining provinces, along with the School Readiness
Programme, which is a “catch-up” programme for grade 1 students who missed out on preschool. Though the expansion and improvement of Child-Friendly Schools, children are getting a better education and making optimal use of their time in class. The Cambodian Government has adopted Child-Friendly Schools as a national education policy, working to ensure that all children across the country receive quality education.
By the 2009/2010 school year, more children than ever before received a head start to their education through enrolment in 932 community preschool classes that benefited 21,258 children between the ages of three and five, more than half of them girls, and home-based programmes that benefited 8,920 children in eight provinces. Enrolment in early childhood education programmes increased from 10.8 per cent in the 2004/2005 school year to nearly 26 per cent in the 2010/2011 school year.
https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/3.Education.pdf
Somehow the 'trainers' mostly end up in Sihanoukville, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. They must be most needed there?Mèo Đen wrote:They're going to coach teachers and yet there is no indication that they have the capacity to do so. The Guarian report states "A MIDDLEWICH High School teacher wants to make a ‘permanent difference in a former war-torn country". No mention that he is anything other than a teacher himself.Joon wrote: EDIT: Just visited the LRTT Cambodia page. So, of course, it is in Siem Reap... https://lrtt.org/fellowships/cambodia
Also telling that they got reviews from the Fellows who go there to coach but they don't have testimonials from the Cambodian teachers who are receiving the coaching.
Agreed.Joon wrote: My "grumble" is not aimed at his intentions but at the way he chose to present Cambodia in absolute words to make his summer holiday project sound more altruistic than it really is. White Savior complex is one of my most detested pet peeves.
Many NGOs inflate the sense of importance of what they are actually doing, and project a sense of self importance to prospective recruits that makes them think they will achieve far more than in reality is possible. In the end its nothing more than "development tourism" Play down the capacity of the target country and inflate the ego of prospective applicant. Then charge them for doing so
From LRTT site:
LRTT works with a small number of schools that are spread around the city of Siem Reap.........
The goal is to grow the capacity of teachers in the Siem Reap area so students have access to a better quality education. We deliver the LRTT course to teachers which introduces key areas of pedagogy and how to implement these in lessons. Each Fellow works with a small number of teachers, visits them in their schools, observe their lessons then give coaching on improvements to their teaching.
How does this interface with:
UNICEF supported the piloting of Child-Friendly Schools in six provinces. Integration of this approach in the
pre-service teacher training curriculum at all 18 teacher-training colleges as well as training for school directors and teachers on child-centred education has enhanced the quality of learning for children. By the 2007/2008 school year, the Child-Friendly Schools Initiative had already reached its 2010 target of 70 percent of schools in six provinces, catalysing a national expansion to cover remaining provinces, along with the School Readiness
Programme, which is a “catch-up” programme for grade 1 students who missed out on preschool. Though the expansion and improvement of Child-Friendly Schools, children are getting a better education and making optimal use of their time in class. The Cambodian Government has adopted Child-Friendly Schools as a national education policy, working to ensure that all children across the country receive quality education.
By the 2009/2010 school year, more children than ever before received a head start to their education through enrolment in 932 community preschool classes that benefited 21,258 children between the ages of three and five, more than half of them girls, and home-based programmes that benefited 8,920 children in eight provinces. Enrolment in early childhood education programmes increased from 10.8 per cent in the 2004/2005 school year to nearly 26 per cent in the 2010/2011 school year.
https://www.unicef.org/cambodia/3.Education.pdf
An example....
When I worked / volunteered in education an international NGO was aiming for a fostering plan, having foreigners abroad (in this case: Italy) support one child in primary school throughout his or her career for a number of years. The money would be used to improve their education by supporting the schools with tools, training, toilet etc etc fitting the national 'child friendly school program'. Because we had access to local schools here in the Northeast they contacted the NGO I worked for and me and my colleagues were asked to contact schools and produce numbers about drop out, enrollment, etc etc. because getting these through the ministry can take years, and check if schools would be interested in enrolling in a foster program like that.
After this international NGO received the info from two provinces, they decided to support children in the Siem Reap area because drop out rates and the number of children repeating a grade were too high in the Northeast. They did not want to send too many 'disappointing letters' to the donors about their foster child dropping out of school, or other bad news. If I remember well this was the first time I became really cynical about NGO's and what they're saying on their websites, what they're trying to achieve and what they actually are achieving with their interventions.
Someone should invite him to make his case here, that would only be fair. I might even sponsor him if he does a good job (unlikely, granted).
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