‘School on the mat’

‘School on the mat’ is a very impressive and cheap way to educate large numbers of children in the absence of school buildings. When the weather is good it works extremely well. We had the experience of visiting two such schools, one with as many as 200 children of all primary school ages from the local villages. There are several things which strike the western visitor:

First of all, the children clearly feel privileged to be there. They want to learn, and see education as a privilege to be grasped. When the teacher asks a question, hands go up all over the place. And there is a real sense of joy in being able to answer correctly.

The second thing which struck me was the content of one of the lessons we were observing. It was about child trafficking, and the children were being made aware of the dangers out there, which are manifold for children in an area like this. A social worker who knew the families well was also present, and she clearly kept an eye out for children who were endangered in any way.

The third striking thing was the joy and manners of the children. They sang, they ate together, they enjoyed the dramas on Bible stories which Michael Johnson led, and the team participated in.  And we even danced a traditional Cambodian dance together.

But lastly, it was the real love of the teachers for their job, and especially for the children which left a deep impression. CHO seems to have a great pool of leaders, and I commend them to your prayers. The education of a new generation is critical, and the opportunity for that education to be Christian-based is a great privilege.