Phalla Neang
Education for Blind, Cambodia
"Starting the education for blind program was very difficult as there was absolutely no education for blind people before we started it. However, I can say two things inspired me to continue during all my career and keep inspiring me today. First the conviction that my work contributes to remedy an injustice – the exclusion of blind and low-vision people from the education system and second, the impressive capacities of the blind and low-vision children. In fact, they are exceptional learners. Their disability actually allows them to be more focused and develop a very strong memory. It is extremely rewarding to work with them."
Bio
Phalla has been a teacher, school director
and country-wide coordinator for the Education for Blind program in
Cambodia for over 20 years. She began working with blind children in
1986 as a UN school director in a Thai refugee camp. When she returned
to Cambodia in 1991, she started working for the NGO Krousar Thmey and
in 1993 became the first Braille teacher in the history of the country.
She has contributed to the opening of the first schools for blind people
in Cambodia and to the creation of the Khmer version of Braille. At the
time most Cambodians believed that blind people were incapable of
learning, had misbehaved in a past life and thus deserved isolation.
In her teaching, Phalla has pioneered approaches to learning in
modalities that are more natural for the blind. These emphasize the
senses of touch and hearing rather than sight, and music is a central
part of her curriculum. She aims to build learning through
understanding, memory and confidence. She also gives priority to English
lessons and computer skills (using screen reader software) to help
prepare her pupils for life in a global world. Students in Krousar Thmey
schools start learning English in the first year of primary school,
while Cambodian students in public schools start in the first year of
secondary school. Blind and low-vision students develop a strong sense
of hearing and therefore tend to be especially talented at music and
foreign languages.
Because the Education for Blind program is implemented in partnership
with the Ministry of Education, students are taught according to the
national curriculum. The program has now expanded to 69 teachers and 250
children in 4 Krousar Thmey schools and 29 integrated classes in public
schools across the country. Phalla proudly quotes that in 2014, 100% of
her visually impaired secondary school students passed the national
examination of baccalaureate.
សូមជួយអរចំពោះជោគជ័យដែលលោកស្រីនាង ផល្លាត្រូវជ្រើសរើសជាងបេក្ខជន ក្នុងចំណោមបេក្ខភា
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