Take-Home Lessons Ensure ISF Students Continue to Learn
Take-Home Lessons Ensure ISF Students Continue to Learn
While our educational facilities are closed, ISF teachers are preparing course work for students to complete at home. Most of our students have missed significant amounts of their education or have never been to school. They had been excluded from regular schooling by food and income insecurity. Living in the dire circumstances of Phnom Penh’s urban poor communities means they are often forced into the workforce to contribute to the household income or simply don’t have the resources to purchase school materials.
When children enter ISF’s education programme, we try to remove all barriers to their learning. Our accelerated learning programme strives to catch them up to the correct grade for their age. We teach them two years of education per year to do so. ISF medical, nutrition and community services aim to knock down any remaining barriers to them reclaiming their childhoods. As shown by the 98% of our students passing on to the next grade, given the opportunity, these children dedicate themselves to learning. ISF is working hard to ensure the current global crisis doesn’t destroy all their hard work.
ISF Teachers correct and provide feedback for students take-home lessons
To facilitate learning at home, lessons can be picked up at our community libraries to avoid creating large gatherings. This ensures personal distancing recommendations from the WHO are being maintained. Among our Catch-Up Programme students, it’s been a resounding success. 95% of students were able to complete their homework very well. The remaining 5% who had difficulty received explanatory teacher’s notes showing solutions.
We are also providing ways to attend virtual classrooms to our high school students. ISF’s Community Engagement staff has created a Facebook group for students in grades 7 through 12. ISF staff shares official Cambodian Ministry of Education video lessons in the group. Students follow up on their learning online with peers and educators. Of the 144 high school students at Chbar Ampov, 65 have received tablets by ISF to view lessons. The remaining 79 students use their own devices to engage with online classes. All Steung Meanchey high school students are using their own devices as well. All have reported that distance learning solutions have been incredibly helpful in keeping up with their education.
For students in grade 12: maths, physics, chemistry and biology teachers use an additional Facebook group to give extra exercises. Completed exercises are posted within the group for teacher feedback.
