Building a free english tuition unit.

Firefly · Post by **Firefly** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 2:53 am

Working with an existing school to add to which they already provide could be wiser.

Got a business plan?

Am I right in thinking you are aiming at kids with no current schooling but won't be teaching khmer? Many of the kids wont ever travel to the west or work in tourism and learning to read and write in their own language could be more beneficial.

I was involved with the build of a small school on similarly gifted land, we then built a relationship with an existing and very experienced educational trust who run it on a rent free basis. It worked well for all concerned. You could then add to their existing curriculum and benefit from the fact they are already licenced. A satellite school as such so you can still build with the container. Drop me a pm if you want.

Don't reinvent the wheel, make the existing wheel bigger and better is my tuppence worth.

Multipox · Post by **Multipox** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 5:36 am

Good idea.

Also possible to offer free English lessons on youtube or another online video site.

A lot of kid will have smart phones to access such a site.

In addition to a native English speaker, the site would need a translator in the native Language to make titles so prospective students, who did not yet know English, could find the site.

that genius · Post by **that genius** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:00 am

simon43 wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 7:45 am Have a look at www.TeacherSimon.org or www.facebook.com/TeacherSimon.org

Nice work, Simon, good job!

simon43 · Post by **simon43** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 8:02 am

Also possible to offer free English lessons on youtube or another online video site.
A lot of kid will have smart phones to access such a site.

Is that true in Cambodia? That lots of kids have smart phones?

Here in Myanmar, only kids who attend top private schools have mobile phones. The vast majority of children do not and their parents don't have the funds to buy a phone, or to pay for the rwgular top-ups to access the internet.

I do have an Android teaching app that I wrote for use in Myanmar. But that app is targeted at local teachers, because they usually have mobile phones. The kids don't...

that genius · Post by **that genius** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 8:09 am

Indeed, and the OP is targeting poor kids

You don't just need android, you need airtime credit too

Maybe install wi-fi in the container...it gets more and more complicated

Another not so obvious question is security...unless the place is guarded, stuff will disappear. You might not think people could break into a container, but they find ways.

Kammekor · Post by **Kammekor** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 8:15 am

Apu D'beaumarchais wrote: ↑Wed Mar 28, 2018 1:12 am
John Bingham wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 11:08 pm
Kammekor wrote: ↑Tue Mar 27, 2018 10:36 pm OP, let me give you a third pair of eyes with a small quote from Simon:

Because I don't run a school, I have no problems about regulations for establishing and running a school.
The establishment of a school, in Cambodia as it is functioning now, with what you have on offer now, is going to be extremely difficult. And that's as sweet as I can put it. At least two ministries to deal with. And then you have to deal with provincial POE and local DOE. There's really NO WAY you can pull this off within weeks or even months, and the political climate will change while you're here - not to your favor. Your guesthouse owning friend, unless he's a really well connected guy, is not going to be of much help these days.

Basically I say - forget it. Teach English is someone's back yard. OK.
Teach English in someone else's already established school. OK.

But starting your own school..... My God.

FORUM MEMBERS: HELP ME. I really don't want you to have the idea you are doing something great for the world when you're actually in a one way street facing a wall. But I can't find the words.....
You're right. This is not a good time to come in here with a well-intentioned but naive project. It would have been welcomed 10 or even 5 years ago, but the climate has changed.

There is a strong undercurrent of dislike for meddling westerners these days. Interfering organizations with a strong political bias are not welcome. Well- established ones who
have spent time co-operating with the various ministries and local government and society are still welcome. Fly-by-night operations are not.

I'm pretty skeptical about why these guys want to set up in Kampot too. It's hardly a remote or terribly impoverished area. Is it the availability of cakes etc?

If they tried it somewhere really remote and isolated I'd give them some kudos, those hills in the west of Kampot are full of impoverished former Khmer Rouge families, but how would you get a container there?

The reason we were planning to do this in Kampot was because we have been gifted the land there. And tbf the idea we had was a more organised version of teaching in a backyard, rather than a full scale gated community school. The shipping container unit would hold 25 children at a time. Thank you for your words, they all make a lot of sense. Would a project on this small a scale, offering english tuition for free to kids receive such a strong backlash?

Yes.

In a year.... Probably even more. The government is getting more and more grip on society. And 25 children at a time is hardly small scale isn't it? If you run two shifts it's a 50 a day. The days you walked in and started some education project somewhere in the country without anyone caring or asking questions are over.

simon43 · Post by **simon43** » Wed Mar 28, 2018 8:44 am

You also need to think about long-term funding for your project. You mention that you will fund it from your own work/salaries. That's a start. But you really need to find a viable funding model that doesn't rely on your own income. External donors can also help to spread the word about your project.

I have a totally weird but viable external donor model for my charity work (and you are unlikely to be in the position to replicate it..). I am the only licensed radio 'ham' in Myanmar, (the result of 6 years of effort and hassling the government for my license).

The global ham community are generous and keen to contact my ham station. They know about my charity work from my 'ham' web-page. So I receive small but regular donations that total about $100 USD every week.

$100 goes a long way in Myanmar to help kids when there are no middle men to dip their hands in the kitty

Building a free english tuition unit.

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