Hundreds of students and almost two dozen teachers at a secondary school in Kandal’s Kien Svay district on Monday sent a petition to the provincial education department and the Ministry of Education in a bid to stop a seven-day concert and exhibition organised by a beer company on school grounds.

The 23 teachers and 400 students claim the concert, which began on Sunday and is scheduled to run through Friday, doesn’t promote a good environment for students at Koki Secondary School.

The concert is the second in the past two months that Leo Beer has sponsored at the school, with the first one taking place in January, said Mai Sopheaktrea, the teacher who sent the petition.

The promotion of beer on campus has raised concerns, said Ouk Chhayvy, an acting director with the Cambodian Independent Teachers Association. Students “need to study in a good, quiet environment”, she said.

Beer promotion is not allowed on school campuses, admitted Oung Tola, director of the education department in Kandal province, adding that his department was discussing the issue with the Koki commune authorities, which gave Leo permission to host the concert on school grounds.

However, commune chief Kong Chheng said the area hosting the concert is not part of the school grounds at all but a former sports pitch that belongs to the commune authorities.

Leo Beer could not be reached for comment yesterday.