Education is paramount to the success of families a nation, and the church. In 2006 New Life Fellowship of Churches Cambodia opened its first primary school. As of the 2007-2008 school year we had 105 students in K-5th grade. Eighty-three students are from Christian families; 54 students are orphans. As you will read in the accompanying newsletter, the school now has 113 students through Grade 5.
The parents of the children cannot afford full tuition, therefore we seek sponsors for the school and several of the children. Please spend some time on this page reading current and past reports and needs. Be inspired. Pray. Consider a monthly financial commitment to the school for general administrative costs, a one-time large gift, or monthly support of a child.
Please take a moment to take a look at the PDF file to the right for photos and current information.
Thank you for making a difference in the lives of Cambodian children.
The PDF file to the right is a glowing report for the beginning of 2008 about the positive influence New Life Fellowship International Christian School is having on the Cambodian public education system. There are many photos, testimonies and especially prayer requests and current needs. Take a look. Be inspired. Pray. Consider a generous offering to assist the continuation of the school - changing the lives of children in Cambodia!
New Life Fellowship International Christian School
It has been one full year since we started our first Christian School.With much assistance from Logos International School in Phnom Penh and many teams and individuals, we trained most of our own teachers other than two licensed Cambodian teachers from our congregation.Our school opened in October 2006 with Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades.Our plans were to add a grade each year.We were thrilled to have full classes in a modern building with some of the highest standards in Cambodia, both morally and academically.Miss Ban Sopheak is our principle.In October of this year we added Grade 4 with students on the waiting list!We have 45 new students – 19 boys, 26 girls.That makes a total enrollment of 103 students!As we have done in the past, this school is the pattern school to multiply throughout Cambodia. High Standards; Many Disciples New Life Fellowship Phnom Penh has the reputation both inside Cambodia and internationally, as being a church with high standards and many disciples.In our 700-member church we have literally dozens of members who can preach, teach, and travel to provincial churches to evangelize and make more disciples and lead successful programs.When international ministries enter Cambodia, they often come to NLF for assistance in getting their ministry or outreach off the ground.I say that simply to say that the same is true for our Christian School.This is first generation Christianity in Cambodia – many of the new believers are young.Many of the members of New Life are now getting married and having children, and their children are now at school age.This will be the first opportunity in Cambodian history for a generation of Christian parents to raise their children in the faith.At this point in the history of Cambodia, the level of education and morality in the public school system is terribly low.Through strong local churches, strong families and strong Christian schools we truly have the opportunity to influence a generation for Christ!
You Can Invest in Changing a Nation This is no hype – you can truly help in changing a nation: 1. Pray for NLF International Christian School and its 2. If you are a teacher or have teachers in your church contact us as to how you can assist in training contact us at: admin@cambodiaoutreach.org 3. Support a scholarship for a needy child 4. Serve as an Educational Advisor to the school 5. Give financially.The school is lacking support for its monthly budget.Any amount you can give, great or small, will go a long way in Cambodia.
Testimony of One Child and His Mother
There is a student in Kindergarten, Seng Hong, 5 years old. His father left his mom when he was a baby. They are not Christians. Seng Hong studied in our school since last year 2006, he really enjoys studying the Bible with Mrs. Chakriya, and he learned quickly how to pray to God, recite the memory verses and Bible lessons. One day in January 2007, Seng Hong started to talk with his mom about going to church to worship God. He was asking his mom many times to take him to church. At last his mom decided to go to New Life Fellowship with him. Seng Hong’s mom is continuing to go and study the Bible in 9:10 classes until now she also starts to believe in God. Seng Hong is very happy to come and see his schoolmate on Sunday at our church. Budget Needs
Please consider supporting New Life Fellowship International Christian School with a one-time gift or on a monthly basis:
Monthly Budget for next 3 months: $12,240 Field Trip for Kindergaten - 4th Grade: $250 Teacher Training: $120 Field Trip #2: $250 Christmas Program: $300
November Prayer Issues:
·Please continue to pray that the government will accept and agree with our documents so we can get accreditation.
·We are still looking for someone to come and work with us as a volunteer in the position of Education Advisor. The position would involve ongoing teacher training, curriculum assessment and development and general support at a leadership level. Anyone who has a background in education and is interested would be encouraged to get it touch with Pastor Jesse at NewLifeFellowshipChurch.
·Pray for the School Board and NLFICS staff to have wisdom, energy, strength, health, unity, no stress.
Special Thanks To:
Pieter and Dawn Heres, Don and Grace Modglin, for having blessed us recently through offerings, materials, fund raising.
Thanks to Logos Principal, Mr. Dan Hein gave our school a Merry go round.
Current Needs:
If you would like to make a financial contribution to NLFICS, these are a few of many needs:
Scholarship for one student (HIV/ poverty case) $416 per year
Donated English story /science books (big books with pictures)
Sound System (for special program) $500
Local Telephone Network $350
Copy Machine $6000
Send staff to study Christian leader skill at DP $120
Send staff to study at University for 4 years $2000
New Life Fellowship International Christian School is a Christian school for Cambodian youth, Kindergarten through 3rd grade, adding a grade each year. The school began in October 2006. We focus on training children in these four areas:
A Love to Learn. By providing the children with enthusiastic teachers who use creative teaching methods, we help children love to learn now and for the rest of their lives.Their learning will impact society.
Make a Positive Impact on Society. We believe that God has created each person with the potential to make a positive impact on society.By providing a foundation of faith, an atmosphere of affirmation and encouragement, and excellence in education that seeks to apply knowledge to everyday life, we believe students from New Life Fellowship International Christian School can make a positive impact in Cambodian society – touching the areas of religion, education, government, entertainment, business and socialrelationships. Foundations for Faith. We believe that the God of the Universe has createdmankind for a purpose.That purpose begins with apersonal relationship with Him through the Lord Jesus Christ and an understanding of God’s ways which are revealed in the Bible. Our goal is for every student to have a vibrant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and to be able to understand and apply the Word of God to everyday life.A primary focus of NLIEC is good character, Christian virtues and manners toward others in order to build a strong and moral society. Excellence in Education. We want the student at NLIEC to understand the world around them and be able to enter that world as a leader in education, business, entertainment, religion, government and social affairs.We seek to provide an excellent learning experience in the Cambodian and English language that focuses on history, geography, math, reading, writing, the arts, science, health and social studies.
Current Needs for the School
As of this writing, New Life Fellowship Internationa Christian School has only one major donor. Following are some financial needs for the upcoming school year. For more information please contact Miss Sopheak Ban at sb_jesus2222@yahoo.com.
1. Native English-Speaking Assistant to serve 9 months with us as an Education Advisor.
2. 4 Air conditioners for the classrooms: USD$300 each
3. Salary for teacher: USD$125 per month
4. Field Trips for k-4th grade: USD$250 (twice this year)
5. Photocopier: USD$6,000
6. Teacher Training: $120 (1 time for October - December)
7. Concert and Award Ceremony: USD$300
8. Send two staff to Christian leader skills class: USD$120
9. Send one staff to general accounting class: USD$200
Stalled Education Law Hinders System-wide Reform Phnom Penh Post, August 28, 2007 By Cheang Sokha and Tracey Shelton
With no official education law on the books in place, cheating and corruption have taken over the Cambodian school system.
The end result? According to Rong Chhun, president of the Cambodian Independent Teacher's Association, 75% of public school students move through the system without getting even a basic knowledge of the subjects they study.
Chhun said that after questioning and testing students from all levels, it appears that "the majority seem to know nothing."
He said he found that although many students get consistently high grades, their level of knowledge does not match the grades.
"If graduates lack the capacity to work in their own field, Cambodia will lose its future and the future for the young will be bleak," he said.
For almost four years, the draft law on education has been stuck on hold in the National Assembly. Without a law, the education system is regulated by government sub-decrees issued and notifications from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
The prospects of the draft law passing are unclear. Meanwhile, taboos like selling test scores flourish, to the dismay of the students who study hard in hopes of getting a good job later.
"Sometimes it makes me feel sad because I study so hard to learn and get a good score," said university student Sum Sarith who struggles to divide her time between school and work. "But I know some people that have one or two degrees already with lower knowledge than I ," she said.
"They might have the degree to get the job, but they do not have the quality to do the work."
Mak Vann, secretary of state for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports expressed hope that the draft law aimed at covering all issues related to education would be adopted soon. Regardless, he said education is improving.
"I found that the high school examinations this year were well prepared - better than in previous years," he said. "Cambodian students are clever, but it depends on whether they are willing to commit to study or not. As I have observed the students are more understanding of new technology, and the curriculum and text books in the school are updated every year to parallel the advancement of the society."
Under the draft law, penalties for cheating include up to 6 million riel in fines and three years imprisonment for issuing a false certificate or diploma. Educational personnel who do not conduct examinations with "fairness and justice" could be fined up to 10 million riel and are subject to "disciplinary administrative measures."
Sok Sovanna, director of Bak Touk High School, said it is difficult to control and manage the school system without a law in place.
"If the law is adopted it will help to strengthen the management of the schools and the curriculum," he said. "Officials that commit wrong can be punished. When the law is adopted we will have to respect and follow the law."
Others said even if the law is passed, it will be too little too late. Chunn said the draft law has serious flaws, in particular the sections related to teacher rights. An article proposed by CITA regarding the right to set up a teacher's union was rejected and teacher wages are not sufficiently addressed, he said.
"I wanted to be a teacher to give knowledge to a new generation and help create good people for the future," said Som Sopheak, who has been a high school teacher for six years. "But it is not possible to support a family on a teacher's wage."
Sopheak and her husband, also a teacher, subsidize their wage by running a pharmacy and small food store at their home. She said the low wages force many teachers to resort to selling scores, exam papers or charging the students to come to class.
But she said things have improved. "Before we would often go 3 or 4 months without getting paid, but now we get paid every month," Sopheak said. "I think our government is thinking of teachers a little more these days."
