Eldest AP Female on Quest for Fair Education

Only recently did Aziza’s Place find out Theara was 17 years old. Her family book which is a Cambodian birth certificate, was recently obtained by AP exposing her true age. Even Theara herself had thought she was 14 years old. Arriving to AP in August 2007, she had never before attended school and entered 1st grade in Khmer public school. Theara has shown vast improvements in her written and spoken Khmer and is frequently lost in a book. The supplemental education and tutoring Theara has received at Aziza’s Place over the past two years has advanced her to the equivalent of 6th grade. In finding out Theara is much older than expected, AP staff set to work advocating to advance her to a more appropriate grade level. Because the public school director was uncooperative in this matter, Theara will have to leave Toul Tompoung primary school. AP is working with French NGO, Pour Un Sourire d’Enfant (For the Smile of a Child), who has an alternative education program and has shown an interest in providing Theara with accelerated schooling. Whether through this NGO, or by identifying a new public school, we will ensure Theara will have the accelerated education she, and every child, deserves.