The Asean Economic Community (AEC) is working its way into the collective conscience of Thailand in more and more ways as the date for its inception draws near.
Pupils of Satit Pattana School pose in various costumes for Asean Economic Community awareness day. PHOTOS BY SATIT PATTANA SCHOOL
Every government agency, every business and every institution is seeking to jump on the AEC bandwagon. Even in the field of education, the buzz is spreading. One school has found the preparations for the AEC’s launch can be instrumental in helping students look inward and reflect on areas where national education needs some help.
Many forward-thinking schools have taken up the issue in earnest, familiarising students with the AEC concept and bringing the idea of the proposed economic bloc closer to their hearts. They have incorporated the basic features of the AEC into their curricula and educational activities.
At Satit Pattana School in Klong Sam Wa district of Bangkok, Aug 8 was marked as a special day on the school calendar. That day, which commemorates the establishment of Asean, was celebrated by teachers, parents and students, from nursery to Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) levels.
The celebration was played out in bursting colours and styles with students, parents and teachers donning the national costumes of the 10 countries in the Asean bloc. Students danced, sang and played games designed as “edu-tainment” about Thailand’s neighbours. In fact, the entire week around Aug 8 was devoted to learning about Asean.
Apart from the showcase entertainment, classes were also held where students studied the basic skills of the languages spoken by countries in the region.
The project was the initiative of the school director, Ladda Pukiat. She is a former director of Chulalongkorn University Demonstration School and a retired teacher with 37 years of school management experience.
Ms Ladda says much has been spoken and written about the AEC, but students have scant knowledge of what it means. So she decided that the Asean concept needed to be taught in a tangible way.
The school hired a company to create the Asean Learning Resource Centre at the school, which set aside space for booths representing the 10 countries in the Asean grouping.
The booths have different displays of the member countries’ cultural features. The school also runs a TV room where documentaries on Asean are screened for students.
The facilities help the students to grasp the basics, such as where the countries in Asean are on the wall map.
Teachers of science, English and social studies bring their students to the TV room to watch the documentaries, said Ms Ladda.
Other schools may also request the use of the Asean Learning Resource Centre.
Satit Pattana has also put together an Asean Market Fair where students are taught subjects related to Asean through music, arts and games.
For primary school students, a learning programme was created. They are free to choose what aspects of Asean they wish to study, while older primary school students are encouraged to be analytical with what they have studied.
“We emphasise self-learning. The teachers show documentaries on Asean and get students to think about study projects they could do on the subjects shown,” Ms Ladda said.
Topics for the projects are wide-ranging, from regional currencies and tourism to the supernatural.
Most students accessed the internet for information on their projects. However, they were advised to be more hands-on by visiting embassies of the respective countries of Asean and interviewing staff.
“Once we become one community, we must know them as well as ourselves. We should also know about other countries’ languages to understand what they think about us,” Ms Ladda said.
Understanding oneself and one’s neighbours matters more than simply getting to know what Asean is, she said.
The students must be well-rounded and able to think outside the box, she said. They should adopt and expand new ideas and sharpen their cognitive abilities.
She said she wanted to make the students feel proud of being Thai and be able to show Thai culture off to people of other countries with confidence.
Ms Ladda said she is planning to launch an Asean languages programme at the school.
She noted some Thais tend to view Asean countries as being inferior to the West.
Ms Ladda asserted the quality of the Thai education system, in particular, is of a high standard. The country has invested a lot in education, and no less than what Singapore has spent. However, there is always room for improvement and the country’s education is not without flaws.
“It’s time to revolutionise the Thai education system. It should be on the national agenda and the issue requires a good dose of brainstorming from both the government and the private sector,” Ms Ladda said.
“The current curriculum is too broad and it is up to each school to design and implement it.”
She said too many students are used to memorising textbooks, and in such a learning environment, they do not feel stimulated to develop a critical mind.
“We should let them learn by doing activities. That way, it will be fun to come to school,” said Ms Ladda.
She said national education policies changed often and lacked continuity. Also, academic excellence comes second to moral ethics.
Teachers themselves need not be geniuses. But they should be good advisers to students.
She said Thai education should be restructured, while parents should not push their children to be too competitive. “We need them to be more thoughtful.”
Kindergartner Chatchaya Srisawaskraisorn, 6, can now recite the names of all Asean member countries.
Chatchaya’s sister, Nutthitha, 8, a Prathom Suksa 2 student, said she enjoyed dressing up in the national costumes of other countries.
Neenara Auesiriwong, a Prathom Suksa 5 student, has learned how to make different kinds of noodles eaten in countries in the region.
“We found that what set them apart were the ingredients,” she said.
For 11-year-old Binnanaree Kongsri, of Prathom Suksa 5, the martial arts of the region are unique in both form and substance, combining swift bodily movement with dance. For example, Indonesian martial artists mimic the falcon in their display of strength.
Temnatee Suaysa-ard and Vichatyuth Nokuji, both in Prathom Suksa 5, did a project together on folk tales about ghosts and spirits that both scare and fascinate people in Asean countries.
Jiranun Gloves, 15, a Mathayom Suksa 3 student, did lexical comparisons of some simple words Thai and Lao words. “We’ve found the Lao words to be generally more soothing to the ears,” Jiranun said.
A teacher educates youngsters at the school about the countries in the AEC.
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Bringing the AEC into the classroom
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