Makara is now 37, married and has a son. After graduating with a degree in English literature and a master's in management, Makara began her career as an English teacher in a private school. It was in 2007 that she met PSE and decided to get involved with the association.
“It was thanks to a university friend, now my husband, that I applied to PSE. His little brother was working with the PSE English team and suggested I apply. Shortly afterwards, I started as an English teacher inside PSE center”. In 16 years, Makara has risen through the ranks, becoming English Teacher, Team Leader, then English Program Manager, Manager of Foundation Studies Division, Operation Manager of PSE Institute, Deputy Director of PSE Institute, Director of PSE Institute and today Deputy General Director of PSE, in charge of Education.
As Deputy General Director, Makara is responsible for all teaching programs within a division called Academic Education. She works with all educational units, such as general education, French and Chinese programs, the special education section, pedagogy, the environment, the career guidance program, and so on. Makara also has the opportunity to participate in the management of all PSE missions with our founder Marie-France des Pallières, the board of directors and all the members of the management team in Cambodia.
A position of responsibility whose main objective is to provide the best education for children
"Before, I never imagined that there would be an NGO like PSE where poor and disadvantaged children could benefit from such comprehensive support in their educational lives."
PSE's strength lies in its programs, which keep the needs of beneficiaries at their core. Everything has been designed to meet a specific need: the remedial program for students who are behind or too old for public school general education, the skills-bridging program for students who have dropped out of school, the vocational training programs that benefit both level 12 and level 9 students, and all the other on-site support programs that enable everyone to grow.
"The main challenge today is to be able to continue to offer the best possible education to lift children out of poverty. PSE has already succeeded in meeting its objectives for 27 years, and I hope in my heart of hearts that this will continue to be the case in the years to come. At least, that's what I've been trying to do for the past 16 years with PSE. What I love most about my job is the close relationship I have with these children and their education. I'm aware of how lucky I've been to have been taken on as a teacher at PSE and to have been able to climb the ladder to today bear the great responsibility of Deputy General Director."
A successful 2023
“At the start of 2024, we are celebrating the success of the year 2023, which has just come to an end. I'm very proud of the students and their results, which are proof of their hard work throughout the year." In 2023, comparing to the starting figure, 95% of our PSEI students graduated, 89% of our students passed their grade 9 and 60% passed their grade 12. Finally, 73% of all registered students in our remedial school have succeeded in moving on to the next grade, demonstrating the success of the program set up by PSE.
Numerous educational events took place during 2023 to promote education and encourage students to go beyond the classroom. Among other things, the aim was to reinforce their soft skills. To achieve this, numerous competitions, forums, sharing sessions, workshops and conferences were organized for students and teachers alike.
The emphasis this year was also on strengthening links between parents and children, parents and teachers, and teachers and children. Several parent conferences were organized to strengthen collaboration between parents and teachers, always with the aim of improving children's learning. Days of gratitude from students to teachers were organized to help children understand how lucky they are to have teachers who are present, caring and loving.
An ambitious 2024
"2024 is a challenging new year. But we start it with confidence. Confident because our efforts over the past year have been rewarded with great successes. The major challenge will be to continue to focus on improving the quality of education and paying particular attention to preventing school drop-out. Let's not forget that what Papy and Mamie wanted was "the best school for the poorest".
We have planned several changes, some of which have already been implemented, to meet these various challenges. First of all, we have modified the entrance tests for students and improved the student management process. We have already and will continue to emphasize the learning of social skills and behavior. The idea is to try and combat the negative impact of society on our students today. Students are invited to take part in educational sessions both in and out of school. The aim is also to increase collaboration between parents, teachers, and students so that all parties understand the importance of education. For our students in vocational training, we are improving the guidance process to enable everyone to find their own path out of poverty for good. In particular, a new program has been introduced for the year-4 grade of our remedial school. Last but not least, a new training program has been created to meet a growing need. The aim is to develop skills in the market of web and mobile application development."
