Under the hot sun of northern Thailand, a group of schoolchildren gets to work in the picturesque rice terraces of Baan Mae Salap in Mae Hong Son province. They dig deep into the soil, churning up earth as deep as 30cm. This is not an act of vandalism or farming, but of learning.
"If we only sit and study in the classroom, we will never know how acidic or alkaline the soil truly is. But this project allows us to learn," says Jaruwan Kordoo, a 15-year-old student at Baan Namdip Community School, an educational opportunity expansion school in Mae Hong Son.
Jaruwan and her four friends -- Rinlada Mahanapat, Nichamon Chuenprasob, Sidapond Preedipa and Patchara Chevitprasert -- worked under the supervision of teacher Narunat Wattawong, and are a new generation of students benefiting from Unicef's work in Thailand in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.
Unicef is working with partners to improve STEM learning outcomes, with a particular emphasis on equity (focusing on expanding STEM education into rural and small schools) and gender (girls are less likely to pursue STEM careers than boys, even though it is a key skill for the 21st century).
Beakers lined up according to different soil conditions.
One crucial partner is the Institute of the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), a government agency with a mission to integrate STEM subjects into wider education and improve teaching and curriculum. Within three years, this initiative aims to benefit 25,000 children and 500 teachers directly, with many more teachers supported through online training.
Rinlada Mahanapat, 15, is one of the most confident girls in the group. Although initially reluctant to join the project, she eventually took the lead in choosing the terraced rice fields in Mae Salap Village, her home, to be the research site.
Teacher Narunat observed that the students never previously paid much attention to how much rice their parents harvested, but researching the soil helped them understand that a decrease in the rice yield has to do with quality of the soil and the weather.
Narunat Wattawong, a science teacher at Baan Namdip Community School.
"I really enjoyed this project. I have seen projects in other countries and the difference they made, such as Sweden. It's useful to see other countries do projects for the environment like this. Together with my friends, I'm proud to be able to share knowledge gained from our soil research with farmers," says Rinlada.
Her research results will help promote the importance of the environment in her village. Step farming is a good option for agricultural work in this area because it reduces the amount of soil that is washed away. In addition, Rinlada's approach to letting livestock such as cows and buffalos eat grass in the rice fields -- instead of burning it -- can help preserve the ecosystem, while animal manure adds valuable nutrients to the soil.
Nurturing a love for science is best started in childhood. A good example is Narunat, who was inspired to become a teacher by the positive impression of a female science teacher when she was young. That teacher encouraged her to learn through questioning and observing her surroundings.
This put her on the path to becoming a science teacher at Baan Namdip School for over 27 years.
She says that although STEM projects often take up a lot of time, children have fun and learn along the way. "STEM projects obviously stimulate children's interests. Some students used to pay little attention to science or mathematics but when we get them involved and working with other talented children, we can see that they greatly develop. If these kids invent something, they are ahead of their peers because they have more ideas and experience. These children discover ways of solving problems that we never expected."
"Doing a science project opened me up to the world of science," adds Sidapond Preedipa, 15, another girl in the same research group. "From having never done it, I got to try and see new things. When we were studying in classrooms, I didn't fully understand. But when I came to do a science project, it made me like science more. I am proud of myself for being able to do it. Getting to that point was stressful, but I got through it all with support from friends, teachers and parents. Everyone is proud of the project."
Rinlada Mahanapat, right, during a lesson.
Sidapond Preedipa, 15, left, and Nichamon Chuenprasob, 15, study soil.
For all its benefits, promoting STEM learning in remote areas faces multiple challenges, such as a lack of trained teachers. Narunat will retire next year, resulting in the school having one less science teacher, and it is not yet known whether the substitute teacher will have science teaching skills or not.
"The biggest challenge for STEM education in remote schools is the level of knowledge," confirms Kankamol Koonnarat, Baan Namdip school director. "We may have science, maths and computer teachers, but if they do not have knowledge and understanding of the content or cannot design learning properly, STEM teaching won't be fully developed."
Narunat hopes that by sharing her passion, some children may become tomorrow's teachers, but her primary goal is to help them learn to love science and apply it whatever their future holds.
"I want children to use scientific knowledge to practise solving problems in a step-by-step systematic way. I want them to practise solving problems through observations. Let them use these skills throughout their lives and work, no matter what area they are in."
Children dig in an empty rice field after harvest season.
