Since its establishment, Cambodian Children's Fund (CCF) has been dedicated to providing educational opportunities for underserved children.
To enhance the quality of education offered, CCF has partnered with the University of Nottingham in the UK to offer teaching and education staff the opportunity to study for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education International (PGCEi).
A professional development programme for teachers working outside the UK, the university’s globally recognised PGCEi program will equip CCF teachers with advanced pedagogical skills and educational leadership training, enabling them to deliver a world-class education in Cambodia.
The initiative aims to improve the quality of teaching in CCF schools and inspire a broader movement within the education sector to elevate the quality of teaching in Cambodia. As a result, a new generation of highly skilled and qualified teachers will emerge, ready to provide students with the knowledge and tools they need to succeed in an ever-changing world.
In 2021, CCF launched its first PGCEi cohort, marking a significant milestone in the professional development of its staff and teachers.
Among the four was Pum Thou, CCF’s Academic Manager and an experienced educator who had already completed a Master’s in Education at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
“I have been in the education sector for almost 20 years as a teacher and manager, and it was a privilege to do the PGCEi. It was a tough learning curve, but it really opened my eyes a lot about education,” said Thou.
The PGCEi changed me a lot. It built my confidence, knowledge, and skills in education
Managing full-time jobs and families while pursuing the PGCEi posed challenges. All the course material was in English, their second language. Teamwork played a big part, with Thou and his colleagues discussing their progress regularly.
With support from their mentor in Nottingham, the cohort navigated the complexities of academic writing and critical thinking.
All passed the PGCEi and say the experience has impacted them professionally and personally.
“The PGCEi changed me a lot. It built my confidence, knowledge, and skills in education. We learned about school management and the purpose behind our educational approaches. We are applying the knowledge and skills we learned every day. We are lucky to have CCF’s support and a management team with a strong vision for education,” said Thou.
“It was very valuable as a Cambodian to get this knowledge. We want to share the theory and methodologies behind how we run our school around the country so it can be replicated to give everyone in Cambodia a quality education.”
Robert Cripps, the former chairman of Velcro Companies, facilitated CCF’s partnership with the University of Nottingham. In 2017, Velcro Companies generously gifted CCF its flagship high school, the Neeson Cripps Academy.
The Cripps Foundation is a major donor to the University of Nottingham. The university has been supporting CCF with teacher development training.
They [CCF staff] can do the PGGEi really well and are graduating with merit
Dr Lucy Cooker, Professor of International Education, Director of Global Engagement Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Nottingham, was tasked with enrolling CCF teachers in the PGCEi course, building on work previously undertaken by two university colleagues, Professor Andrew Noyes and Professor Christine Hall, who visited CCF to map out a development plan.
“I put together what has now become a 10-year plan in terms of a teacher education plan [for CCF], developing teachers, knowledge and understanding, and building this very rich focus of expertise within the school, which included the PGCEi,” said Dr Cooker, who led the PGCEi course at the University of Nottingham for nearly 10 years.
“We weren’t sure at the beginning how it would work, but they [CCF staff] can do the PGGEi really well and are graduating with merit.”
Dr Cooker, also collaborating with CCF’s education team on a research project around teacher retention, said the partnership between CCF and the University of Nottingham was “hugely important”.
Currently, four additional education staff members from CCF are enrolled in the PGCEi program, including CCF’s Head of Education.
Kram Sokchannin, Senior Education Manager at CCF, is in the second CCF cohort taking the PGCEi. She was also studying for a Master’s in Cambodia at the start of her PGCEi course while working full-time and being a mum to two children.
“It’s quite challenging, but I believe in lifelong learning. We have to keep up with the current trends in education and develop our education system in CCF and Cambodia”, said Channin, 40.
She has experienced firsthand the transformative power of education.
“Education was very important for my family. We were a very poor family; it was very difficult. Without education, I am not sure how our life would be. Education has given us a lot of opportunities. We all have good jobs because of education, and three of my siblings received scholarships to study abroad. Without education, I did not know how we would have found our way out of our situation.”
Channin and her colleague, Lun Sreymarch, are working together and can also connect with other PGCEi students worldwide through an online community.
Sreymarch, 27, a teacher at CCF’s Rice Academy primary school, said she is motivated to pursue the PGCEi because she wants to be the best teacher for her students.
“ I had a very good role model when I was young, a teacher at university. Being in a class with him motivated me to become a teacher and transfer my knowledge to the next generation,” said Sreymarch, who has been a teacher for six years and has a Bachelor of Education.
“Education can change a life. We have the stories in CCF of kids who were once on the dumpsite and are now studying abroad. Education opened up their world.”
I want to be one of the decision-makers and leaders in the education field
Dr Lucy Cooker said that beyond the PGCEi - there are hopes that those who pass the course at CCF may be able to complete a Master’s and PhD - there are discussions on ways to extend the reach of CCF’s educational mission.
Sreymarch already envisions her future extending beyond classroom teaching. She wants to be involved in shaping education in her country and making an active difference.
“I want to be one of the decision-makers and leaders in the education fied, where I can use my knowledge and skills to have a greater impact in Cambodia,” she said.
