Police teachers from distant districts in the South -- and other parts of the country -- have found that even further south is a key to their pursuit of running successful primary schools and ensuring their pupils are knowledgeable and resilient.
It is not often that border patrol police teachers get the chance to visit schools beyond the border for inspiration.
Early this week, dozens of border patrol police teachers from all regions flew to Singapore to witness the functioning of schools in the city-state, which has one of the world's most efficient education systems.
The teachers were briefed by executives of the 19-year-old Park View Primary School in Pasir Ris on the eastern side of Singapore, who have sparked interest not only because of their effective teaching methods but also for how students and teachers socialise and interact.
They saw how everything from teaching methodology and quality study and learning could be emulated and embraced by school children in remote areas on the borders of Thailand.
Thippawan Kaewphitak, 36, a Trang native who has been teaching at Ban Klongwai in Surat Thani for three years, said the visit gave her confidence that she has on the right path in making education participatory.
"We're trying to engage parents, communities and local administrative organisations in supporting and organising education for their children," said Thippawan, a police corporal.
She said children shouldn't be expected to behave properly only when in school, but they should become responsible members, if not leaders, of their villages.
Thippawan: 'Engage parents and communities in organising education for children'
"And to do this, we need all sides -- not just the schools -- to get in on the act and groom them from a young age."
Pol Cpl Thippawan, a grantee of the border patrol police teacher dedication award from HRH Princess Sirindhorn last year, said she noted how the Singaporean school attached importance to raising the quality of teachers along with quality learning for children. At the same time, the "little details" are not overlooked which heighten the learning experience and develop life skills such as social decorum and manners. As well, students are given "safety tools" when navigating the internet which is not always child-friendly.
"In Singapore, pupils learn how to utilise equipment and facilities with care. Books are not torn up like they are back home and iPads are not damaged from careless handling. New books are bought by the library every year," she said.
An agriculture graduate in 2003 from Kasetsart University's Kampaeng Saen campus, Pol Cpl Thippawan said it was her dream to be a kru doi -- a reference to dedicated teachers working in impoverished villages in remote pockets of the mountains.
She said she had worked with a few non-governmental organisations such as the WWF and Action Aid in mobilising and strengthening youth networks dealing with social and environmental issues. She also worked briefly with the tsunami-affected Moken gypsy communities.
Ban Klongwai School, opened in 1988, is a solitary primary school tucked away in a highland village some 28 kilometres from Vibhavadi district of Surat Thani.
"It's too awkward for pupils to make the trip to study in town. When it rains or floods, it's quite a problem for parents and pupils. So at least this school keeps basic education going for them," said Pol Cpl Thippawan, who has been recognised by Princess Sirindhorn as a model teacher of the South.
Pol Lt Yanyong Boonsilp, 58, a primary school principal in Chumphon's Tha Sae district, also joined the study tour, and made his first visit to Singapore.
Yanyong: 'Thai educators can take a few leaves out of Singapore's book'
He said he was impressed by the discipline, environmental consciousness and the cleanliness of the people.
"Maybe our country is so blessed with abundant resources that we tend to take a lot of things that we use and eat for granted," he said.
"For Singaporeans, water is limited and so they recycle the supply as much as possible. They are real planners."
Although Pol Lt Yanyong, who is two years from mandatory retirement, recognised that not every aspect of the island state's education system provides a fit for the Thai education system, he believes Thai educators can take a few leaves out of Singapore's book, particularly with respect to setting high standards for classroom learning and knowledge building.
He also credits Singapore with devising clever teaching techniques in areas such as multimedia studies which Thailand can adopt.
"Singapore is a modern society and perhaps on the materialistic side. But they also teach the value [of education] and construct an environment conducive to learning, which encourages the kids to be innovative and resilient."
He said there are plenty of things that he and other teachers could do to push the limits of child developments at home and in school without losing sight of their indigenous identities.
Singapore has allocated S$12.8 billion (330 billion baht) for education this year, or about 3% of its GDP.
It has 366 primary and secondary schools, and different choices for post-secondary level with five universities, five polytechnic schools and an institute of technical education.
Turning to home, Pol Lt Yanyong, who has worked in schools in Chumphon, Ranong and Surat Thani for the last 26 years, thought the problems encountered by the border patrol police teachers and the schools where they teach have changed with time.
"In the old days, teachers were mostly untrained and schools lacked the necessary equipment and teaching mediums. The long distances from anywhere else led to all sorts of problems with transportation and communications, which were dire," Pol Lt Yanyong said.
But back then, communities, though mostly poor, earnestly rallied their support for the schools. They mustered up materials and labour to build classroom facilities, guided pupils on such things as growing vegetables and mowing the lawn at school, he said.
"Now, many parents are earning more money and can afford to send their kids to town for study.
"Some students attending school outside their communities are exposed to heavy consumerism and indulge in the kind of lifestyles that are far beyond their means. Some fall prey to drugs," the Tha Sae school principal said.
Attitudes of some parents toward their children's education are also a concern, he noted.
"Certain families in Lang Suan [a district in Chumphon] still think that having an education to Prathom Suksa 3-4 level [Grades 3-4] will cut it for their children. They believe their children can earn easy money from growing durians and other fruits.
"But they never think that one day the orchard might be gone, wiped out by a natural disaster or driven out of business by a price slump. They as a family might still have a chance to survive with one or two of their kids having attained a reasonable education."
Border patrol police teachers at the Karen community in Kanchanaburi's Sangkhla Buri district. There are more than 1,600 of them nationwide teaching some 19,000 pupils in remote areas. Photos by Achara Ashayagachat
The Park View School is fully equipped with desktop computers and music instruments and the library well-stocked with books for older students on the top shelves and those for younger ones on the lower shelves.