I have seen firsthand, the devastation to the educational systems here in Cambodia. The whole thing is pretty much in shambles. Our classes are filled with kids that have disturbingly inconsistent and random degrees of education.
Some of my teenagers did not even recognize simple math problems like division or multiplication. Although most of the kids know at least a little English, it stemmed more from memorization than actual comprehension.
When greeted with “Hello, how are you?” they quickly reply “Fine and how are you?” But when the familiar patterns are replaced by a simple variation, they stare back with blank eyes unsure of how to respond.
Even in class, they seemed to know the words in the books. They could say all of the sentences, but we quickly caught on to their secret. They did not know them at all, but had managed to memorize almost the entire book.
I discovered this when I began teaching from the back of the book. Suddenly, words they spoke frequently became a mystery. I could write them on the board or point to them on a different page, and they had no idea what they were looking at.
I just learned the other day that many of the kids enroll in school, but never actually attend. Their families pay off the school, maybe $500 a year, to let them move on to the next grade level. Some kids graduate from school without even having a third grade education. The pay-offs ensure that they will be able to get a job, as long as it doesn’t require them to actually know very much.
It is really sad and frustrating to me to see this. It is so different than what we have seen around the world. In most countries, kids are so grateful for the opportunity to go to school because they know it gives them hope for a better future.
I wonder how much our western influence has affected this attitude. Even more than that, I can see how fatherlessness has contributed to this downfall. After the war, there were not many parents left to enforce the importance of such things. Kids were on their own to build their futures, and had to one to guide them or teach them.
I don’t know any easy answers or quick solutions to this problem. The only hope I see is to spend the time investing in these kids; to take the time to disciple and teach them good values. In turn, we can hope and pray that they will pass it on to their children and eventually restore what has been lost.
It is the Lord’s work to restore them, but it is our job to love them and tell them about Him.
