Phnom Penh Governor Chea Sophara says he has found funding to help 748 poor children attend public school.
In a speech given Friday at Wat Than pagoda to mark the beginning of the school year, he said he hoped to place the children in schools near their home and supply them each with one pair of shoes and two sets of uniforms. He promised help to pay for notebooks and said he would award the students who earned the best grades a bicycle.
Oum Hoeung, director of the Phnom Penh education department, said most of the children were between the ages of 6 and 10, and had never been to school before.
Seng Buntheon, assistant to Minister of Education Tol Lah, said he supported Chea Sophara’s efforts. “I praise him, and I hope human resources in Cambodia develop so that in the future an increasing number of people help the national education system.” Seng Buntheon said.
(Oum Hoeung said)He said most of the students would start this week at Chaktomuk, Ponhear Huk and Kampuchea Both schools.
