Lack Of Local Wisdom Teachers Decried

[webfact]

Lack of local wisdom teachers decried

By The Nation

Published on January 14, 2011

There are only 315 local-wisdom teachers left in Thailand. "We have recognised local-wisdom teachers since 2001," Nopmonthon Sibmeun-piam of the Office of the Education Council said yesterday.

In the nutrition field, the number of local-wisdom teachers stood at just eight, he said. For agriculture, the number is 49, for industry and handicrafts 25, traditional medicine 30, and natural resource and environmental management can count only 26 local-wisdom teachers.

Community fund and business has 23, fine arts 93, language and literature 30, and philosophy, religion and tradition 31.

Dang Marasri, 62, is a local-wisdom teacher with expertise in training water buffaloes to plough paddy fields. She works at Kasarakasiwit School in Sa Kaew, which was established by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn two years ago to preserve the valuable knowledge.

"You may think technology is better. But buffalo manure can be used as natural fertiliser," Dang said. "Over a decade, it can also produce other buffaloes. A tractor, on the other hand, loses its value over time."

Another local-wisdom teacher, Manas Pankhao, said the government should have paid more attention to teachers with indigenous knowledge.

"Dr Prawase Wasi, a senior citizen, has said the Culture Ministry should increase local-wisdom teachers' role in society. Instead of having the local-wisdom teachers conduct classes for just a few hours each time, the Culture Ministry may develop cultural routes for students and tourists to take and learn about local wisdom from these teachers," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-01-14

[brahmburgers]

I've never heard the term 'local wisdom teachers' but it's heartening to know there's such a resource in Thailand. However, one drawback, is much of the local wisdom may be predicated on superstition & hocus pocus. Be that as it may, it's good for all Thais to be aware of the deep and varied roots of their heritage.

How about designated villages - where all buildings and people reflect a bygone era? They have some of those in Indonesia and the US (parts of Williamsburg, VA for example) and other locales. However, it would be tough to establish such a village in Thailand, because who could survive without their cell phone, electric rice cooker, motorcycle, and TV?

If done right, such 'heritage villages' would be a great showcase for locals and tourists - to see how life was in bygone, simpler days.

Another thing you don't see in Thailand, but is well established in the US and other places: Heritage Tree Foundation (or words to that effect). It would certify the largest tree in the country of each significant species. For example, where in Thailand is the biggest teak tree?, the largest clump of mammoth bamboo?, the largest bombax tree? Such a program, if well administered, could provide tourist revenue and local pride for participants.

[lungmi]

I've never heard the term 'local wisdom teachers' but it's heartening to know there's such a resource in Thailand. However, one drawback, is much of the local wisdom may be predicated on superstition & hocus pocus. Be that as it may, it's good for all Thais to be aware of the deep and varied roots of their heritage.

How about designated villages - where all buildings and people reflect a bygone era? They have some of those in Indonesia and the US (parts of Williamsburg, VA for example) and other locales. However, it would be tough to establish such a village in Thailand, because who could survive without their cell phone, electric rice cooker, motorcycle, and TV?

If done right, such 'heritage villages' would be a great showcase for locals and tourists - to see how life was in bygone, simpler days.

Another thing you don't see in Thailand, but is well established in the US and other places: Heritage Tree Foundation (or words to that effect). It would certify the largest tree in the country of each significant species. For example, where in Thailand is the biggest teak tree?, the largest clump of mammoth bamboo?, the largest bombax tree? Such a program, if well administered, could provide tourist revenue and local pride for participants.

I stay in the mountains at the burmese border. Many older people still have the knowledge of old herbal medicine, but this "wisdom" disappeares slowly. Only some health stations with local staff try to save it, against orders from their "superiors".

[Scott]

It's a good idea to keep local wisdom. Once it's gone, it's gone. When I went to school, we had to learn about Greek and Roman Mythology. I never did get the relevance of that material, but it didn't hurt me any.

[lungmi]

Brahmburger, your idea of a heritage village is fixed in my mind, I have some projects in this way. Thank you.

[brahmburgers]

Brahmburger, your idea of a heritage village is fixed in my mind, I have some projects in this way. Thank you.

I appreciate your appreciation. Mentioning it, lit a light bulb in my head also. I've resided in a small village in northernmost Thailand for 12 years (first visited 27 yrs ago). Adjoining are a couple hill tribe villages, though they're relocations, so they're rather modernized, with electric pumps and mom & pop stores, etc. It might not take a whole lot to get a portion of the Thai village or the hill tribe village to become a showcase for how things were in the old days, though none of those places has its own real cultural heritage that I know of. Among the many challenges, would be doing it without it looking too much like a stage setting - though, if Thais were to designate a 'heritage village' that's how it would be done - with near-perfect teak houses, and auto-irrigated flower beds, and cobblestone lined walkways, and a crew of cleaners everywhere. In other words, non-authentic.

A real 'heritage village' would not be squeaky clean with scrubbed cement lanes, but would instead show some of the reality: chicken poop, piglets roaming around, etc. Perhaps the biggest challenge would be balancing a showcase with the more interesting facets of how village life was (perhaps 500 years ago), and not have it be tainted by modern things we accept without thinking: cleaning products, electricity, waste bins, phones, cola bottles/cans, water pumps, refrigeration, shoes, modern clothing, watches/jewelry, etc etc. As I think more about it, I realize it's pretty close to impossible to implement in Thailand - with nitty gritty authenticity.