A recommendation by the World Bank in 2018, for the merger of small schools in Thailand to reduce education inequality, may have struck the right chord with those in charge of education – but definitely not with a seventh grader in Ratchaburi, a province not far from Bangkok.

 

“I think studying in a small school within my community is like studying in my comfort zone. Otherwise, I would have to travel to another school located downtown,” said Waen Noeur-an, a seventh-grader at Phothawatthanasenee school, a junior high school in Ratchaburi.

 

She graduated from the school about a year ago and was invited to seminar on small schools in Bangkok to share her experience and thoughts. Speaking to Thai PBS World, she said her life at Wat Kok Thong has been best memory.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-04

 

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We asked nong Nok visiting from a village in Roi Et how she was doing at school. She proudly said she was number one in the class. When asked how many were in the class she said- two!

If the students were obliged to go to the nearest school from their house instead of to go to so called famous schools with overcrowded classrooms, a lot of problems would be solved..In overcrowded classrooms students don't learn anything and in mixed classes because the school has too less students it is the same... The quality of the teachers is no issue...Advantages are plenty, no travel time to and from school if nearby, less pollutiuon and  traffic congestion and better education just to name some

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

“I think studying in a small school within my community is like studying in my comfort zone. Otherwise, I would have to travel to another school located downtown,” said Waen Noeur-an, a seventh-grader at Phothawatthanasenee school, a junior high school in Ratchaburi.

Showing some promise, more sense than the adults.

My brother went to a very small primary school in the Scottish Highlands; one teacher, less than a dozen pupils. No curriculum in those days. They spent a lot of time gardening in the summer months while basically chatting about whatever they wanted to talk about ( no internet in those days, not much TV either). They all did extremely well at secondary school and apart from one, who had to start running the family farm, went on to university.

But the idea that 'small is good' ( let alone 'smaller is better') is absolutely anathema to modern economists. Centralise and control is their motto. 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the merger of small schools in Thailand to reduce education inequality

UK went thro this during the 70s.  I taught in a Sec Mod which was forced to amalgamate with the local Grammar School.  Exam results declined and NEVER reached the separate totals of the two individual schools before the Comprehensivisation process.  Big is NOT beautiful.

In 1969 I volunteered to teach in a one teacher school in NSW, Australia, a school with 14 students and classes from kindergarten to 2nd form high school. The experience for me was inexpressible in terms of contentment and satisfaction. Every student participated in the education of those students who needed assistance. The cohesion and fabric of social interaction was displayed every day. I have no doubt that each and every one of these kids became productive and responsible members of the wider community.