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Nobody gets lost in the crowd in the high school programme at Rose Marie Academy. Like all students at this school, these tenth and eleventh graders are able to deal with problems that have led to difficulties in other schools. |
 Executive Director Rose Marie Wanchupela |
It’s hard to believe Renako ever needed a second chance. This polite and confident student is on her way to an overseas university with tiptop grades. Yet there was a time when Renako went through a rocky patch with her schooling. It was those problems that brought her to the Rose Marie Academy, a very special school for international students, situated in the beautiful surroundings of Nichada Thani just north of Bangkok.
As every teacher knows, there are always students who miss out in the typical classroom. With anything from thirty to forty children the teacher struggles to provide one-to-one interaction. Confronting a broad range of abilities, the teacher is forced to pace lessons to the average child. Restrained by this pace, bright kids become bored and tune out. At the same time the less academic kids fall behind. Children with extra problems need extra attention, instead they get lost in the crowd.
Yet at the Rose Marie Academy the visitor notices a striking difference from the very first glance. The student to teacher ratio is unusually low. The average class size seems to be four to six pupils.
That may sound like teacher’s heaven, but these are unusual students. Many of these young people have special educational needs that have caused them to fail in more traditionally sized schools. Behavioral problems were commonplace. Some have been expelled from both international and local schools. Others were weighed down by family problems such as divorce or separation. One student has autism; another receives treatment for Attention Deficit Syndrome.
"The High school programme at the Rose Marie Academy is a niche for those young people who fall through the cracks," says Wanchai Chaiyasit the Deputy Director, outlining the High school programme’s philosophy.
Meeting individual needs
"The school is unique in two ways," Wanchai begins. "Firstly the classes are small. The High school employs five teachers with twenty children. The maximum number of students never exceeds seven per class.
Secondly, this allows for a very flexible approach to study schedules. The students who come to our school are given a chance to work in an environment where they can succeed. In our smaller and more intimate classes they are enabled to overcome the problems they presented in large formal classrooms. Because of the low student-teacher ratio our students have the opportunity to study a self-paced curriculum."
Wait a moment, a self-paced curriculum? Now that sounds like student heaven!
Wanchai puts it into context. "The Rose Marie Academy builds its high school programme around a professionally developed curriculum, which is licensed and accredited by regional departments of education in the United States. Students graduate with internationally recognised qualifications. But by incorporating the latest thinking in distance learning," Wanchai explains, "the students, more or less, teach themselves. They take responsibility for their own progress. They may even set their own examination dates." Their exams are then externally validated.
The staff tailors the learning programmes to the individual needs of each child. The more academically gifted can forge ahead. The child with learning difficulties can draw on the extra teacher support available. This means that in the same classroom students will be studying different pages in the textbook. In fact they may be studying different books! However, all students can ‘touch base’ with their teachers, as and when they feel the need. The low ratio permits the teachers to have a much clearer idea of each student’s development. They know when to step in and when to hold back.
The programme’s success has led to the Academy forming close links with Thailand’s international schools, a few local schools and even overseas schools. As Wanchai, a clinical psychologist and the school’s counselor, says, "We work in tandem with other schools. As the school’s reputation spread, we started to get referrals.
"Many of our children only come to us for a short time. Once they’ve fixed their problems, whether educational or behavioral, they can return to their original school. We work in a partnership with mainstream schools, to do what’s best for the children. We are not in competition with Thailand’s international schools, we are a support service to them"
Wanchai explains that the homely setting also helps with the behavioral problems.
"Most students learn that they can’t behave the way they did in bigger classes. In this smaller environment bad behavior affects everybody. There are no more big groups to hide within. Here their peers and their teacher won’t tolerate anti-social acts. We spend a lot of time on courtesy and respect. Of course," Wanchai admits, "on rare occasions there are students whose needs are too pressing. But we have the flexibility to deal immediately with such a situation."
One student recounted how, like a lot of ex-pat kids, he boomeranged between countries, from home to Thailand and back again. Family problems rubbed off on his grades. Applications to two international schools in Bangkok did not succeed and he ended up at the Rose Marie Academy, his own ‘last resort’ as he says with a grin.
Not all of the teenagers have special needs. Some come to Rose Marie simply because they like the friendly, cozy atmosphere.
Seventeen–year-old Thitima is a good example. She came to learn English.
"It was easier for me to pick up English here than at other international schools, because of the small number of students per teacher," she says in fluent English. "The teachers here are able to give more support."
Thitima is currently studying economics, sociology, art and music history, grammar and composition, all in English, naturally.
Others come to upgrade their academic skills and grades. The teacher-student ratio means the school can act in a tutorial role.
 Dr John Styles deep in discussion with an attentive high school student. |
"I’ve never worked anywhere like it," asserts Dr John Styles, the High school’s Head. With a long professional career that includes some of the world’s most illustrious schools, he should know.
"The teachers know every student’s level. So we can see a stumbling block coming up and know when to step in. A lot of our teenagers are here to improve their grades," Styles explains. "Once this is done they return to their original school. Due to the self-paced study some children can graduate in as a little as four years. On the other hand students who finish late don’t get an ‘F’. They are given an extension."
Growing a school
So how did such a unique service come into existence? The High school programme has been open for five years. It is situated across the road from the Child Center and the primary school programme, which are also part of the Academy.
The Academy is a result of the vision of its founder and Executive Director, Rose Marie Wanchupela. A highly skilled educator with over forty years experience in Thailand, Rose Marie has built the Academy up from scratch.
But don’t expect to find Rose Marie behind an office door or locked in meetings. She is just as likely to be out in the playground, having fun with the kids and chatting to parents.
"During the eighties I organised tutoring programs for children to get into the international schools. As time went on," Wanchupela explained, "I realised there were some who, for whatever reason, required extra help. At that time there was nowhere for these children to go. The High school just evolved from addressing this need."
The dedicated team has to be part of the success story.
"I didn’t want to concentrate all my energies into curriculum development." Wanchupela explained. "There are already excellent curriculums available and we use them. I put my time into recruiting good teachers and support workers."
Many institutions in Thailand invest in the hardware of construction. Impressive buildings and pretty campuses are seen as the hallmarks of good education. At this Academy the investment is in the software of good staffing. The management wisely understands that children learn best from people, not bricks and mortar.
So are all these advantages counterbalanced by any disadvantages for teachers and students?
Teachers face the challenge of the varying speeds of learning. Every young person in the class is at a different point in the book or even embroiled in separate subjects. The teacher must sometimes feel as if he or she is teaching several classes at once. Three children could be engaged in American history, a fourth in sociology, while the fifth is tapping away in readiness for typing exams! The mental acrobatics must be exhausting at times.
However if so, there were no such grouses to be heard in the teachers’ room during coffee break. The staff presented as willing and able to roll with the punches.
The teachers were as interesting and diverse as the student body. The USA, the United Kingdom, Russia and Puerto Rico were among the countries represented around the coffee table.
Several students claimed that at times the close contact with their peers could cause tension. There are no crowds to offer relief.
One teenager grumbled he couldn’t get away with much, (hey, isn’t that the point), while another felt his teachers sometimes expected too much. Despite this everyone agreed that their improved grades and stabilised problems outweighed the complaints. And of course, there isn’t a student anywhere in the world with a good word to say about school dinners!
Charles, a sixteen-year-old American described his relationship with his teachers as sometimes friendly and sometimes intense.
"On the good side you have the convenience of the teachers as your friends. The classes are comfortable and personal. The students here are nice. You don’t get that international school attitude you get from kids elsewhere," he said. "It’s not as stressful here and you can go at your own pace. You can finish your strong subjects early leaving time to double up on your weak subjects. But," he went on, "this means you have to be responsible for yourself and manage you own time. Otherwise, you won’t fail but you’ll take longer to graduate."
Charles is another glowing example of the Rose Marie’s success. Since his arrival he has notched up good grades and is looking forward to University. Inspired to write, he plans a degree in English Literature in Queensland. He says he’s also looking forward to the quality surf!
Needless to say, a teacher-intensive program of this quality is not cheap. The days when local schools can achieve this kind of care are a long way off. But at least the Rose Marie Academy, as a role model, is up ahead on the trail lighting the way.
The Rose Marie Academy’s success story shows no signs of slowing down. The school has big plans for the future. Wanchupela kindly let the Learning Post in on something of a scoop. The school is finalising an agreement with Nichada Thani to build a brand new school on the current site. This purpose-built complex will offer even better services and resources. But the High school’s focus will remain unchanged. This will always be an environment where teenagers with specialised needs can turn difficulties into resounding success.
Maybe the Academy is not so much a school for second chances as a school for new beginnings.
terryfrd@ksc15.th.com |