Does Partnership and Sustainability Really Happen? A Case Study of an In-service Health Education Programme Implemented in One Province in Cambodia

Published in the International Journal of Educational Development (Vol. 27, Issue 6), this 11-page article (available in full by purchase only), examines an in-service model of education based on a case study of a Cambodian provincial health project. The model was designed to take account of local experience in the education and health sector and to build effective partnerships between donors and non-government organisations (NGOs) working in one province. The aim of the project, which built upon research by the University of London (in the United Kingdom, or UK) assesses these qualities in a case study of in-service education in a provincial health project in Cambodia. The goal was to build on existing practices and the understanding, knowledge, and attitudes of local communities.

The Kampot School Health Project being evaluated here aimed to: run 4 school health days each year; ensure that children had regular and consistent messages; give enough time to understand the content; and encourage interactive learning and limit the disadvantages of cascade training (where learning is passed on from one learner to another). Interpersonal communication was key, in that in-school training for teachers was provided, and support was provided for school directors to develop leadership and management skills. Communities and local health centres also lent their support, and health days involving the whole school as a community were hosted.

As indicated in this report, data collected from classroom observations and interviews and from questionnaires completed 18 months after external financial and human resources indicate that teachers felt confident in the knowledge and skills they learned. The training also reportedly benefited school directors, who developed strategies for managing latrines, followed plans for school health days, and were actively involved in coordinating the health days. Nearly all directors report having seen better hygiene practices among children; some have observed improvements in the school environment.

However, the research also revealed some challenges. Community involvement was limited and teachers varied in competence, so some days were found to be more successful than others. In addition, only 18 schools continued with the project, implementing one or two health days in the following year; 48 schools did not continue implementation, and the rest gave unclear answers. Lack of funding for resources and training was cited as a central roadblock.

The researcher suggests the following strategies for improving programmes such as this one:

• Develop relationships between NGOs, donors, and ministry that are mutually beneficial to their own objectives.
• Encourage all of those involved to be active participants in initial research, implementation, and evaluation.
• Involve teachers and school directors, because they have the capacity to understand children and how they learn, and can reinforce the messages over time.
• Ensure sustainability by focusing on community involvement in, and commitment to, seeing the project as effective after the first year.

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