My School

I wanted to explain the little background information I know about my school. I am the first ETA at my school, and the Thailand Fulbright program is moving towards school similar to mine. In the past they have focused on larger well-funded high schools with as many as six other foreign teachers. My school on the other hand is the complete opposite. Not only has their never been a foreigner in this school, but there has never been a foreigner in this village.

My village has about 500 homes, and only the poorer children attend my school. Apparently those with more money or those who have tested high go to the large school in the city. My school is a government run institution in which almost all of the students will only finish M3 (9th grade) before they go to work for their families. Many of the boys will be rice farmers. In fact my experience cutting rice as noted earlier was at the home of one of my 9th graders. The girls will either cook and take care of the home if the family job is labor intensive or the girls will assist with the business, such is the case for the many families that sell food out of their home. The students in the middle school have already decided or rather it has been decided for them that they will not attend a university (because if they were to attend a university they should be taking more rigorous class in the city school). There are a few students (10 out of roughly 90 ninth graders) that will attend M4-M6 (10th-12th grade), but the high school they will be attending is geared towards technical work or careers like working in a 7-11 or as a bank teller.

The lack of opportunity and wealth of my students was solidified in my mind when I was told about the upcoming school competition. I was all excited because I knew that some of my fellow ETAs were discussing such English competitions at their schools, and I thought I would have the opportunity to help judge or coach my students. I was told however my students would only compete in computer, Thai music, and Thai dance. The teacher explained that my students were not competitive in tradition subjects such as English, Math, or Science compared to the large well-funded city schools. I know my students have holes in their socks, sometimes as many at three toes wide. I know my some of my students have rotted out teeth. I know that I have students at false false beginner level English, but I also know that the lack of opportunity is not a reason to not expect my students to achieve. In one year I cannot help these students change the course in which their life is on, and for some of these students I wouldn’t want to. Changing the course would be disrupting the unity of the village, the way of the life, or the self sufficiency of the community (read Thailand’s Self Sufficiency Policy-interesting stuff).

In one year I can hopefully encourage the love of knowledge, of creativity, and critical thinking. In one year maybe I can provide problem solving tools in which they can use for the rest of their life. With a system so ingrained with rote learning (teacher says and student does, repeat, drill, drill, drill) maybe critical thinking will be a huge tool in their life. For example one of my peer teacher drills the students on present perfect and past tense- which honestly I don’t even remember these concepts. I try not to focus on what the students are saying, but using what they know to communicate. I had one student the other day write “Lampang has car horse”, which may not have been the correct word for the horse carriages Lampang is famous for, but I was able to form a picture and understand what he was saying.

The hardest concept for me is those few students who dream of attending a University, but this opportunity will never be an option, and I use the concrete word never intentionally. These students don’t have the money or the opportunity to attend the city school which prepares them for University. Some of the students would have no transportation the 15 Kilometers into the city or their families need them to work in the home in the afternoon. However, many of my students have not tested high enough when leaving B6 (6th grade) to be placed in the university prep school. I don’t have an answer for predicament, but only a greater appreciation for American school system (although I know the American school system has its own gaps and barriers).