The Two Schools. 
 
Spitler school and Kurata School are both in the village of Ang Chagn, Siem Reap, Cambodia.  Spitler school was founded by Danny and Pam Spitler, in conjunction with Chea Sarin, and is run by the Spitler School Foundation (SSF).  Kurata School, also in Ang Chagn Village, was taken on by the foundation in 2010.

And this is the start of the volunteers' blog, which will give all of you out there who have an interest in the school a day-today account of life at  these schools.  Well, not perhaps day-to-day, but - we hope - a pretty regular account of the goings on at the school and in the surrounding area.

So where are these schools?  The best view, but not one that any of us sees on a daily basis, is from above.

This is a satellite shot of Spitler School, though since that photograph an additional block (the English Building) has been added. It's set well away from the road, along a few dirt tracks as well as a more substantial clay road built by the villagers with funding from the foundation.  Most people get to the school by tuk-tuk or moto (sitting on the back of a motorbike), but all of the present volunteers cycle, which can be a daunting experience especially during the rainy season.

Loll particularly enjoys her ride into school of a morning, especially when we take the short cut.  She has only fallen off her bike three times now and is always grateful for the concern of the local inhabitants who unfailingly disentangle her from the wreckage and send her on her way.  Nick prefers to take photographs.
As we ride into the village, local children will call out 'Hello!' 'Good morning' (a tribute, we think, to the splendid English teaching going on here...). Occasionally, 'Hello Jim' (to Nick) - despite the fact that Nick is considerably bigger than Jim and has grey hair and a beard.  Perhaps we barang all look alike!

The road to Spitler School is now good (thanks to some recent hefty donations) so the last 1000m or so is a very pleasant ride.

The approach road to Spitler School

Some wise words at the school entrance.

The compound at break time - with children sweeping the dust.

The children all walk or cycle to the school from the surrounding village.  There are two shifts: mornings last from 7.00 am until 11.00 am.  The afternoon session starts at 1.00 pm and goes on until 5.00 pm.  In the hot, dry season (now!) both teachers and students get pretty tired in the afternoons.  However, in common with all Cambodian schools, there is a 'flip' each month, and the morning students and teachers switch to the afternoon and vice versa.  Seems only fair!

Kurata School is a little further on than Spitler School, and was recently taken over by the foundation.  Kurata is actually a Japanese name; its official Khmer name is Sala Samaki Sahakhum ('the School for the Community'). Kurata is a smaller school than Spitler, having only 172 children against Spitler's 500, but it is likely to grow as its reputation increases and the English programme becomes established. At the moment there is no official English programme at the school, but two heroic volunteers (Meghan and Josh Riley-Graham) have been teaching English there for the last two months.  We are now in a position  (thanks to a wonderful donation from Kenny King) to introduce a formal English programme at Kurata.  We have interviewed two new teachers, watched them do a demonstration lesson, and are very happy to say that they are joining the foundation after the Khmer New year holiday (about 20 April).

Grade 6 children and their teacher, Kurata School.

 Volunteers at SSF


Meghan and Joshua Riley-Graham have been volunteering at Kurata School over the past few months, teaching English to all of the grades.  This has been the children's first formal experience of English classes, and they have all made tremendous progress.  This has provided an excellent foundation for the start of the formal English programme which will begin straight after the Khmer New Year holiday.  More on this later.

Meghan and Josh at work over the lunch break with Grade 7 students

Working with the Grades 6 students at Kurata.

Jim Latt, Loll and Nick Thorne and Jule Leister are also volunteers with SSF.  Jim, Loll and Nick have been involved for over two years, setting up the English programme and providing support for the local English teachers, Ratha and Ann Hoy.  Jule is on a one-year placement from Germany, and has helped with the sports programme, worked with the English teachers and helped develop the new libraries at the two schools.

Jule works with children in the Spitler library.

Jim re-creating the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Loll with Grade 3 students.

Nick working with the two English teachers on a training day.