Our SMART programme, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and the Ministry of Environment, encourages school leaders to act together with their teachers, pupils and community members to make their school environmentally conscious and active. The school leaders really make a difference within their school, by actively involving the teaching staff and students in this green process. We hope this lead to a change that will reach beyond the school gates into the homes and community of the teachers and pupils.
One action is the provision of a small grant, by which the Teacher Education Colleges and 12 target schools in Phnom Penh and Battambang started transforming their schools into child-friendly eco-schools. We visited Anlong Vil Primary School and Samdach Chea Sim Primary School, both in Battambang province. We’re proud to share their experiences from the school leaders, teachers and pupils with you.
Green playgrounds
Sophanmay (12-year-old girl) and Panha (11-year-old boy) go to Anlong Vil Primary School. Proudly, they guided us around their playground. In the past weeks, adjustments have been made and they were happy to take us around. They showed us their new renovated classroom yards and the new produced banners with environmental slogans.
Anlong Vil Primary School, represented by Mr. Sum Samet (Director), is pleased to be part of the VVOB’s Eco-School Programme implementation. Within a 3-month period, they succeeded in renovating the classrooms yards, producing banners and conducting awareness on a green school environment to parents, sellers, teachers and students. Mr. Sum Samet pointed out most pupils use their own box and cup, instead of single-use plastic containers. Thanks to the awareness activities, the level of plastic usage has been reduced a lot.
Ms. Kang Khemarath, grade 5 teacher, also expressed her pride over the achievements made regarding the eco-school program implementation at her school. She stressed that the schools looked nicer than before after the eco-school program had been implemented. Teachers like the beautiful classroom yards and the education messages on environment are very useful to teach our pupils.
Setting up a compost oven
After joining a VVOB-training on composting in July 2019, the highly motivated staff from Samdach Chea Sim Primary School decided to build a compost oven. With the financial support of VVOB, they built a compost oven in their school garden. They understand that building a compost oven have a variety of benefits. Ms. Khorn Yarann, the director of Samdach Chea Sim Primary School, explains it reduces the garbage volume and they can use the compost for their gardens.
Next to building an oven, Environment Education was also a part of the grant activities. They educated their students on developing positive behaviour changes concerning the school and community environment. Students have changed their behaviour since they are aware of how to manage the wastes and they take care of the school environment.
This didactic process was very important. Ms. Nhem Chumneang, a teacher of grade 1, said that the eco-school programme activities significantly contribute to reduction of waste usage, because students know now how to take care of their own wastes. They put wastes immediately in the waste bins.
