Schools Aiming For Reform Show Mixed Results

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Schools aiming for reform show mixed results

By WANNAPA KHAOPA

THE NATION

Khon Kaen

The first two years of the second decade of education reform have passed. The crucial goals of the reform have been issued. Some pilot projects have been completed at a number of schools to drive the reform, while many more schools regionally remain unclear about what they should do to help push it forward.

Communication of the reform's goals and strategies is needed to get movement in the same direction, and regional meetings have been organised to make practitioners understand them clearly. The Office of the Education Council is responsible for this mission.

Of the eight meetings, one took place in Khon Kaen province last week attended by directors and teachers in 13 northeastern provinces.

Although none of the projects under the reform have been implemented at their schools so far, northeastern teachers told The Nation they had recognised some changes and would make an effort to drive the reform.

Information technology, community participation and educational activities are playing a more and more important role in their schools.

Suladda Sakthamcharoen, a teacher from Yuwabunbamrung Municipal School 3 in Nong Khai, said computers and IT were more important at her school.

"I have to adjust myself quite a lot to use computers and IT to teach my students as I was not born during the age of technology boom. To help my students learn how to make use of IT, I need to encourage them to use the Internet to search for information and knowledge. I tell them to hand in their homework through emails, too," she added.

Boonchuay Phooloon, director of Huaycai School in Nong Bua Lam Phu, said since the reform allowed for 30 per cent of the curriculum to be dedicated to diversifying students' learning, he took them out of the classroom to learn valuable local wisdom from surrounding communities.

"As an example, they're more enthusiastic when I take them to a monument of King Naresuan to teach them about his biology," said Boonchuay, adding such an approach enabled his small school, which was facing a shortage of teachers, to offer different classes and levels at the same time.

Suladda Sawad Dikatang, a teacher at Wanghin Kaokho School and Samien Thuraphan, a teacher from Bang Nong Tubtao School in Khon Kaen, agreed their schools had sought more input from communities - while the schools also offered help to the communities when they needed it. Such participation helped both reach their goals more easily.

Sawad said he had his students go to a nearby temple to learn and absorb morality from the monks every Sunday. Also, they learned voluntary skills by helping locals with activities, like cleaning.

Samien said his school informed and sought opinions from communities before making a decision on anything that would affect students. "Teachers have to reform themselves in changing the way they teach by focusing on analytical thinking and recognising the importance of education reform."

Dhurakij Pundit University President Assoc Prof Dr Varakorn Samakoses, told the meeting there were 38 million working age people in the Kingdom; 21 million of them worked according to the reform system and 17 million others were out of it. Reform would be successful if the latter could work and earn appropriate incomes. He urged the meeting to focus on improving students' learning at the classroom level, the smallest unit of education.

Sudhasinee Vajrabul, the council's deputy secretary general, said the meeting received overwhelming feedback from practitioners because around 900 people had attended although there were only 500 invited officially.

Since the government did not have funds to pay for education improvement alone, private companies were likely to offer more corporate social responsibility projects. She urged school directors to approach the companies to tell them what they wanted and to seek their support.

-- The Nation 2011-06-08