LIVE & LEARN
WIPA PINYOCHOTIWONG
Dear Khun Wipa, My name is Lek. I'm a Thai citizen. I have a six year-old daughter Jenny whose father is an American. After my divorce, I came back to Thailand to live with my daughter. I consider myself old-fashioned as I still believe in the way Thais bring up children following the 'Rak Wua Hai Puuk, Rak Luk Hai Tee' (spare the rod and spoil the child) principle. I don't want Jenny to grow up being aggressive and egocentric like many children in the US. I want her to possess the charm of Thai characteristics: Polite, gentle and considerate. So schooling is so important. Can you give some advice on how to select a good school for my child here in Thailand?
Lek.
Dear Khun Lek,
Schooling in Thailand is versatile and diverse. Choosing the right school for your child can be tough. The best thing to do would be to visit schools of your choice and see which school's educational philosophy matches yours. To give you basic information, schooling in Thailand is divided into the following:
Thai general public and private schools are under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. These are schools that were attended by our generation, where the medium of instruction is Thai. However, some schools offer a separate international programme where English is the medium of instruction.
Some public and private universities carry out their own demonstration schools as part of teacher training under the Faculty of Education. Although the school's curriculum designated by Ministry of Education is applied, many schools adapt different teaching methods and use their own teaching materials developed by academic staff members based on newly discovered educational research.
International schools
As Thailand has becomes an international business hub, international schools have gained high demand for business expatriates and wealthy Thais. Usually three curricula are available: UK-based, US-based and the IB (International Baccalaureate).
Bilingual and Trilingual schools
Many schools offer bilingual (Thai and English) or trilingual (Thai, English and Chinese) curriculum. These type of schools normally offer a mix of subjects taught in different languages such as mathematics is taught in English, whereas social studies will be in Thai or history in Chinese.
Religious schools
Certain parents want their children to develop with certain religious value such as Buddhist, Catholic, Islamic or Sikh. These religion-linked schools are gaining popularity.
Montessori schools
Certain secular educational philosophies such as Montessori pedagogy schools are also available in Thailand, where self-directed activities on the part of the child is the core of education and the child's personal development. Teachers serve as a director or guide to assist the child's learning and development.
Khun Lek, I hope this basic information could be a guideline in choosing the best school for your daughter.
Best of Luck.Wipa Pinyochotiwong
Wipa Pinyochotiwong is managing director at the overseas education centre Ednet Co. She was a lecturer at the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at wipa@ednet.co.th.
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