METHODIST SCHOOL OF CAMBODIA

Low Wee Teck, former Principal of Methodist School of Cambodia.

Juliette Arulrajah, MMS Area Director of Cambodia.

Beginning in 1997 with 15 kindergarten students, the Methodist School of Cambodia (MSC) grew steadily to include primary, secondary, and high school levels so as to provide a complete non-tertiary education right from K1 through to Grade 12. The reality of the school motto, “Rise and Shine”, taken from Isaiah 60:1-3, has been reflected through its development over the years.

Over the last 25 years, MSC has had the privilege of making disciples, building character, imparting values, and fostering educational excellence.

Over the last 25 years, MSC has had the privilege of making disciples, building character, imparting values, and fostering educational excellence. It is an affordable private school through the portals of which a total enrolment of about 15,000 students of different faiths and walks of life have passed through. Indeed, MSC is a sought-after institution of learning in Cambodia, with a national reputation for academic excellence, sports achievements, and producing students of reputable character. Many alumni have pursued an array of meaningful careers, as entrepreneurs, leaders in civil society organisations, and in the private sector, arising to shine for the Lord in the local community.

MSC classroom activities and lesson time.

While the past two years have proved to be challenging for the students with prolonged school closures and disruptions in learning brought about by the pandemic, they have risen to the occasion. Undeterred by the challenges, lessons for students have been carried out online on a daily basis. In 2020, MSC had 100% passes for the Grade 9 national examinations and, notwithstanding that our Grade 12 students were well prepared, the government cancelled the national examinations and passed all Grade 12 students to enter tertiary education.

Christmas celebration.

God is gracious and good! The Grade 9 students of 2021 far exceeded expectations with their performance in national examinations, with 62% scoring distinctions and 38%, credits. Though our Grade 12s of 2021 obtained results above national average at 80.5%, they could nonetheless have done better for some of the subjects. However, God be praised that more than 50% of the Science cohort had As and Bs for Physics and some for Chemistry despite the lack of practicals during the pandemic. MSC is also very proud of a student who was in the top 1% across the nation, scoring Grade A for the Grade 12 national examinations.

Football and basketball games.

Sam Sokkunorak, the outstanding student, was a beneficiary under the MMS Student Sponsorship Scheme (SSS). He was an active student leader in the 1st Phnom Penh Boys’ Brigade Company in MSC and served as captain of the school basketball team. Sokkunorak is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology Management in an internationally accredited university in Phnom Penh. He is a role model to his peers and juniors in MSC and has the intention to give back to the community to raise others as part of capacity building for Cambodia!

Student leadership development has always been at the core of MSC’s mission. Thus, the Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade companies are a critical part of this mission. During the pandemic, parades and camps could not be carried out and members had to be engaged via online platforms. As now Cambodia transits to an endemic COVID-19 environment, MSC’s BB and GB captains are primed to restart their weekly programmes and leadership camps. Whilst programmes will have to evolve to meet the changing needs, the purpose remains resolute to seek, serve, and follow Christ, “which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast.”

As mentioned earlier, the onset of the pandemic has expedited the development of and need for incorporating education technology in schools. This has hastened the pace of equipping students and teachers with relevant Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills in order to navigate and thrive in the future economy. MSC is looking at how to further improve the computer science curriculum as the school aims to help students be future ready.

Leading the school in its next phase of development and growth will be Timothy Tan, the new Principal of the main school (G1 to G12). Timothy took over the reins of MSC from 1 May 2022 from Low Wee Teck who was at the helm of the school for four years. Timothy is an experienced educator and school leader from Singapore whom God had prepared over the years to respond to the call to missions together with his young family! The Lord will continue to do great and marvellous works in the lives of students and staff through Timothy’s leadership.

Looking back on God’s goodness this past quarter of a century, MSC envisions the future with growing expectancy, trusting that the Lord has great things in store for the school as MSC continues to RISE and SHINE in greater measure in Cambodia in the coming years. To God be the glory!

Partner with MSC

MSC needs more sponsors for the Student Sponsorship Scheme (SSS) to help the poor and needy students at S$45 per month! To find out more about SSS and to sign up, please login to https://www.mms.org.sg/sss.

I want to express my thanks for the support rendered to me by all concerned, including the extended Methodist community in Singapore, over the last four years.

Low Wee Teck, former Principal of Methodist School of Cambodia.