Children's library opens at remote school

• Published date: 10 March 2023
• Publication title: The Phnom Penh Post

The NGOs Sovann Phoum (SP) and Plan International Cambodia (PIC) and the Stung Treng provincial Department of Education, Youth and Sport last week jointly launched a new children's library at a remote primary school serving mostly indigenous students.

The library includes digital facilities to assist children in technology training, studying and improving their reading habits.

Pich Sovann, programme manager for SP, told The Post that since the onset of the 2023 school year, there have been two children's libraries established in Stung Treng province as part of a project to improve the quality of education in the northeast region in five districts: Sesan, Thala Barivat, Siem Pang, Siem Bok and Borei O'Svay Sen Chey.

'When we first started this children's library, we put in a reading corner because at the time we saw that most schools did not have a room [for reading] and there was no librarian. The reading corner is a place where we put books in one classroom.

'We put in the reading corner from two to four rooms, depending on the school's space and whether it is large or small. Eventually we put them in 12 schools, but later we started to develop the project further to create children's libraries,' he said.

According to Sovann, one of the two libraries is in Chhwang Primary School in Thala Barivat district, while the other library is located at Pong Kreal Primary School in Siem Pang district, which were announced open for use on March 4.

He said the library was set up with internet connected Smart TVs to further help children practice reading habits as well as develop their brains and intellects to solve problems.

'In that remote area where our indigenous people live, there is a high dropout rate and they don't get a full education. We think this library will help students learn more, which means they can come and read books or watch...