High School Tutorial Scholarship

High School Tutorial Scholarship Program:
2017 - Now

Background

In August 2017, I was invited to Chut Nat High School after they completed the installation of lights and ceiling
fans. I met their principal, Mr. Srey, and learned more about the education system in Cambodia. The
government provides free education from primary through high school. Students go to school in the morning or
afternoon for only four hours daily, but the high school curriculum demands much longer class sessions. As a
result, teachers offer tutorials to help students finish the required curriculum. Students who can afford to pay for tutorial fees flock to their classes, especially G11 and G12 students preparing to sit for the public exam that qualifies them for university admission. However, students from low-income families who cannot afford to pay are left out.

The Tutorial Scholarship Programme Background

The program was established to support hardworking G11 and G12 students of low-income families who strive for academic success.

In November 2017, PFDO, our local partner, selected twenty qualified students after home visits and interviews. We solicited sponsors to pay for monthly tutorials from October through August, Monday through Saturday, for three hours each day. Before the end of each month, students would present their school reports to PFDO before receiving their monthly tutorial grants.
While the G12 students will leave this scholarship program after graduation, the current G11 students will be evaluated by PFDO in September based on their final grades. New students will be selected, and the program will continue to procure sponsorship from Hong Kong for all the qualified students.

Since 2017, the Tutorial Scholarship Program has supported over 120 high school students. Last year (academic year ending December 2022), the G12 students had outstanding results in the public exams, and all were admitted to the university of their choice.