Preah Sisowath High School

What if these walls could talk? The walls of Preah Sisowath High School have witnessed over a century of Cambodian history. Preah Sisowath High School stands as a testament to the passage of time, a silent observer of the changing tides of this nation. It began its life in 1873 as a Franco-Cambodian school, known then as the School of the Protectorate. This institution, later renamed College of the Protectorate in 1893 and then College Sisowath in 1905, served as a training ground for future administrators in the French colonial system. Preah Sisowath High School wasn’t always the grand institution you see today. It evolved, growing from a collège into a lycée in 1933. It finally received its current name, Lycée Preah Sisowath, honoring King Sisowath. The very ground we stand on was a gift from the king himself, a four-hectare plot bordering Norodom Boulevard, donated in 1905. Imagine the bustling classrooms within Preah Sisowath High School in the 1930s. A young Son Ngoc Thanh, future prime minister, founded the Association des amis du Lycée Sisowath in 1935. This was Cambodia’s first alumni association. It quickly became a hub for intellectual discourse. The national sentiment began to take root within these very walls. In 1939, a milestone was reached. The first Cambodian students graduated from Preah Sisowath High School with baccalaureates, marking a turning point in the nation’s educational journey. But the story of Preah Sisowath High School is not without its shadows. The Khmer Rouge era saw this place of learning transformed into a stark military warehouse. The teachers and students were scattered, forced into the countryside. The school’s history echoes Cambodia’s own turbulent path through the 20th century. Remarkably, Preah Sisowath High School persevered. It reopened its doors in 1980. Then, in 1993, it reclaimed its original name, a symbolic act of restoring its historical legacy. Today, the legacy of Preah Sisowath High School lives on, its halls once again filled with the vibrant energy of students. As you gaze upon this historic building, remember the countless lives that have passed through its doors. From future leaders to ordinary citizens, Preah Sisowath High School has played a pivotal role in shaping Cambodia’s destiny.