PM backs tambon-based education

By Wannapa Khaopa

The Nation

Yingluck wants to use model after success in Udon Thani

The so-called "Sor Phole model" - a tambon-based participatory educational development model - will be spread to schools throughout the country.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said on Monday that she would spread the model to other schools, following its implementation in the northeastern province of Udon Thani. She was speaking during a visit to the province to study both its floodwater management and the Sor Phole model, which had its beginnings in Tambon Sor Phole, in Udon Thani's Kumphawapi district.

Earlier, the Office of the Basic Education Commission and Office of the Education Council contributed Bt500,000 to extend the model to other tambons in Udon Thani. The director of the province's Primary Educational Service Area Office 2, Chalam Attatham, who founded the model, said a first phase would involved 10 tambons.

Under the model, local agencies and residents participated in educational development in six schools in Tambon Sor Phole. They took part in every procedure - thinking, planning, implementing, evaluation and coagulation, Chalam said.

"They shared different ideas and expectations with us, about schools and students. They also gave recommendations and solutions. We inform the locals about what's going to happen and how they can help," he said, adding that 190 education volunteers in 19 villages helped to disseminate information among local residents.

Tambon Sor Phole Administrative Organisation, the Primary Educational Service Area Office and the six schools signed a memorandum of understanding in May 2009, under which the organisation was responsible for providing educational infrastructure, the office introduced plans and acted as coordinator, and the schools focused on teaching improvement with assistance and support from residents.

Educational supervisors from the Primary Educational Service Area Office have assessed students' reading ability and guided teachers in providing more practise for those with weak ability. Twenty-five local people volunteered to teach local wisdom. Each of the 190 education volunteers is responsible for 20 families, and they have searched for children at risk of dropping out and reported the families' problems to the schools. They've also monitored students' behaviour outside the schools and asked parents and the schools to deal with unwanted behaviour.

Tambol Sor Phole has 1,200 students in six schools. Five of them are primary schools and one secondary school - Sor Phole Pittayakhom - has about 400 students.

"With participation from all stakeholders, the educational performance of students has increased and their behaviour is better," Chalam said. "The residents have become more confident in the school's education quality. The schools' average scores in the Ordinary National Educational Test (Onet) increased by 10.47 per cent, although we targeted a hike of only 5 per cent. They were placed among the first 25 per cent of the 201 schools under my office's responsibility, with the highest O-Net scores in 2010. Surprisingly, one of the five primary schools, called Sor Phole Nonsawan, was ranked first by having the highest average O-Net scores among the 201 schools. In 2008 the school was ranked lower than 100th out of 201.

"The number of students enrolling at Sor Phole Pittayakhom is up from about 150 to 200 because parents now feel confident in the [school's] quality, while the remaining 200 are dropouts. We have given them one more chance to study the basic education curriculum, along with occupational training. They are special group, and sometimes they study in the same classes with those studying in the formal system.

"One-hundred per cent of Prathom 1 school-aged children have access to education at the five local schools," Chalam said.

Boontriam, an educational volunteer who is also local-wisdom teacher, said the relationship between local people and students was better. There was a feeling of greater intimacy after they had taught the students local wisdom and helped them achieve what the schools requested, like surveying the needs of students and parents, growing vegetables and feeding animals.

"I'm happy we could pass on our local knowledge and skills to young people," he said.

-- The Nation 2011-08-31

You know, I am sometimes left wondering if this country is run by some very clever manipulators of people or a bunch of mindless idiots.