這幾個月在暹粒的鄉下教中文後發現，這裡的孩子和台灣的孩子一樣，有些擅長唸書，有些不那麼擅長，但是在鄉下，無論擅不擅長唸書，都得面臨一個問題，怎麼樣堅持把書唸完？

鄉下有些家庭的經濟狀況是很辛苦的，孩子們時常因為家計問題，被家人要求不要去上學，回家幫忙農事或去外面打工幫忙賺錢。
可以理解當家計難以維持、下一餐不知道在哪的狀況下，「受教育」確實沒有立即性的意義，所以即使是國內規定的12年義務教育，在鄉下，很多孩子還是很難完成。

未完成義務教育，通常代表基本識字能力也不會有，即便孩子們長大了，比兒童時期能做得工作更多，但仍可能因為沒有識字能力，只能找到的勞力居多的工作，薪資也難以改善家裡經濟狀況，這不算是個正向的循環。

教育，是我一直很在意的議題。
我一直相信無論孩子會不會唸書，每個人都一定有一份自己的天賦，只要提供孩子資源探索，他們一定會有自己很獨特的樣子、很有興趣的事情而且可以做得發光發熱。

這裡的孩子也是，有些學習能力非常好，學習態度也很積極，有一個男生最讓我印象深刻。在中文班，男生是少數，只有這位學生是唯一每次一定出現的男生，除了上課很投入，旁邊的人聽不懂的時候，他也會幫忙解釋。

但是，到了12月月中，很突然的就沒出現在課堂上了，也不是月初學校調整上課時間，正想著原因到底是什麼的時候，某天在路上突然看到他開著鐵牛車，載著幾個大人從我旁邊經過，我心想我沒看錯吧？一個8歲的小孩在開鐵牛車？這樣的畫面讓我震懾了很久、很久．．．

平靜了心情後，冷靜的想起這裡難以堅持就學的現實面後，才無奈的歸咎出很久沒看到他在中文課出現的原因：原來是要幫忙家裡工作呀！

而那些學習力比較沒有那麼好的孩子，即使學習天份不高、不太會唸書，但在玩樂上都有比其他孩子厲害的部分。有時候，一些孩子們想吃樹上的果子，有個語言學習天賦沒那麼好的男生，每次都負責爬上樹摘果子給大家吃，因為他很靈活，知道哪個樹枝爬了不會摔下去；而某個也不是那麼擅長學習語言的女生，則是很會編織，每當小女生們摘了一堆花到園區來想要編成項鍊，都能看到那個女生在教其他小女生怎麼把這些花編織成新的花樣，所以，即便他們語言學習能力不好，但在他們身上，實實在在的驗證了「每個孩子都有與生俱來不同的天賦」這句話。

但是在鄉下，即使你有很棒、很特殊的某個天賦，資源也不像在市中心一樣多元，能夠供你探索，如果你又沒有把義務教育完成，無法找到較能培養新能力的工作，那份天賦更容易因為要追求生計而被遮蓋掩沒，沒有機會發揮。

這裡因為貧富差距造成的資源不平等問題比起臺灣複雜很多，臺灣人可以透過許多管道去爭取，甚至要求政府改善，雖然不一定很快就能改善，但一定會朝著更好的方向前進。但在這裡，似乎只能靠人民們自己更努力、更奮力的生活，或者等待一些國外資源的協助，有時會聽到當地人說一句話：我們一直都期待有改變的那天，但到底什麼時候才會變？ 這個問題，我也不知道。

看著每個有著獨一無二特質的孩子們，期望他們都能順利完成他們人生的挑戰，好好唸完12年義務教育，保有自己的特質，平安幸福的長大。

 

Since teaching Chinese in the countryside of Siem Reap these few months, I found that the children here are just like the children in Taiwan. Some are good at studying while the others are not. However, here in the countryside, no matter if they are good at studying or not, all of them face the challenge of finishing their education.
 

In the countryside, there are some families that do not have good economic status.As a result of their poor economic status, parents usually ask their children to not go to school. Instead, they are asked to stay at home to help with farm work or to go out to do some part-time work to help the family earn more income.When your family’s economic status is so poor that you do not even know if there is enough money for your next meal, finishing education has no meaning.
 

Therefore, even though the Cambodia government made Compulsory Education into a regulation. In the countryside, there are still a lot of children that did not finish their education.

Not finishing Compulsory Education means that kid cannot read. Therefore, even when that kid grows up and have the ability to seek employment, the only jobs he can find are labor intensive work because of his illiteracy. These jobs do not have high salaries and are usually not enough for them to support their families and improve their economic status. Hence, repeating this bad cycle onto the next generation.
 

I have cared about education for a long time. I believe that no matter if the children are good at studying or not, every child has their own special talents.

If we supply them with lots of resources to explore, they will become special and know what field they are interested in pursuing. Only then will they develop success.
The children here also like this. Some of them can learn really well and have good learning attitude. There is a boy that made an impression on me. In Chinese class, although the number of male students attending is just few, that boy will come to join every time. He not only concentrates in class but also will also help explaining materials for the other classmates that don’t understand.
 

But in the middle of December, that boy suddenly stopped attending my class. I know the reason is not about the school sometimes changing their school time, I just do not know and cannot stop wondering about his absence. One day while walking down the street, I saw that boy driving an ox cart giving a ride to some adults. At that moment, I thought my eyes were tricking me. An eight years old boy driving an ox cart by himself? That sight shocked me for a long time.
After I calmed down and recalled the economic difficulties that many children here faced, I realized that the reason why he stopped attending my Chinese class was because he had to go work to help his family!

For those children who are not good at studying, they make up for their lack of learning abilities with their “playing” abilities. When some children want to eat the fruits from the fruit tree, one of boys who is not good at learning will take on the role of climbing the fruit tree and picking the fruit for everyone. Due to his high agility skills, he knows how to tell which branch which will support him and not let him fall down. Another girl who is also not good at learning is actually really good at weaving. There are always some girls coming to our organization’s campus with lots of flowers because they want to weave some necklaces with those flowers. Every time I look over, I can see that girl teaching the others how to weave their flowers into new style of necklaces. Therefore, even though they do not have good language skills, they proved the saying that “Every children have inherently different talents.”
 

But the sad truth is that due to them living in the countryside, even if they have great talents, the lack of resources compared to the city will hold them back from exploring these talents and finishing their education. Without proper education, these children will not find a suitable job which can train them to have new skills and their talents will be wasted because they are forced to work in another job to support their livelihoods.
 

Here, the problem of resource inequality caused by the gap between rich and poor is much more complicated than in Taiwan. Poor Taiwanese can improve their situations through many methods and even ask the government for assistance. The situation may not be able to improve soon, but it will definitely move toward a better direction.

But here, it seems that we can only rely on the people to work harder or wait for the assistance of some foreign powers. Sometimes I heard locals ask: “We have always expected that someday our country will change. But what exactly will it change?” For this, I also don't have the answer.

Looking at these children with unique characteristics here, I hope that they can successfully overcome the challenges in their lives, finish their 12 years of compulsory education, keep their own characteristics, and grow up safely and happily.

 

這個小女孩只有7歲，卻是我上課最得力的小助教，全中文的課程，就屬他反應最靈敏。我只要一個口令，他總能馬上猜對我在表達什麼，然後翻譯給其他同學聽。


希望之芽的中文班不是學校課綱內的教育，所以學生很難每堂課都到，但是這幾位小女生是從第一堂課到現在每一堂課都沒有缺席的，而且上課總是非常投入，甚至下課後也常常拿著課本跑來問我還沒上到的部份怎麼唸。


照片中的小男生其實沒有那麼擅長學習語言，有些內容教了好久，他常常無法像其他孩子一樣順暢講出。但堅持還是有成效的，每次我堅持的重複複習，他也堅持有空就來上課，我們總能一起看到他進步的那面。見到他在進步後，總臭屁的教著其他新來的孩子他學會的部份，非常替他感到驕傲。


這些孩子畢竟還是孩子，即使他們好學的態度已經比台灣的部份孩子積極很多，上課的時候還是要多想一些新花樣，提高他們願意持續來上中文課的動力。


台灣的孩子因為生活環境多元，有許多玩具、活動可以玩，但當少了那些外在的東西後，就會開始喊著無聊。他們忘了自己與生俱「玩」的能力。
但這裡的孩子因為沒有那麼多的外在資源，每個都很會自己跟自己玩，很會找樂子。