ABOVE World Refugee Daymarked annually on June 20, meet some of the multi-talented teachers and principals of immigrant learning centers in Thailand along the border with Myanmar who, with the support of The United Nations, is doing all it can to keep up with the flow of children seeking shelter.
Overcoming challenges outside the classroom is a daily reality for educators at 63 learning centers in Tak province, which currently serve about 14,400 students, up from 11,450 in 2020, the Association reports. festival. Ministry of Education of Thailand basic education support offices in five border districts – Mae Sot, Phop Phra, Mae Ramat, Tha Song Yang and Umphang.
However, teachers and principals are finding solutions by taking on the roles of parents, farmers, traders and sometimes one-man non-governmental organizations (NGOs), using resources limited to serve the constant influx of children and meet a multitude of needs, from housing to homework.
Two girls return to class at a learning center for migrants.
The day begins at sunrise
The principal of a learning center for immigrants in Phop Phra district, about 450km northwest of Bangkok, cares for about 110 children from kindergarten to grade 6, of whom 20 live in dormitories. amnesty.
Her day begins at sunrise and ends well after sunset. She teaches, manages the center’s finances, collects firewood, prepares food and cooks. She also cared for and comforted many children on behalf of their parents, who were working elsewhere in Thailand or back home.
Her hard work goes unpaid. Of the center’s six teachers, all in their 30s, only three receive a small monthly stipend of 3,000 Thai baht ($80), which is less than half the average salary. workers about 200 USD.
Take on extra work
The situation is similar across Tak province. Like many other teachers at learning centers in the area, the 48-year-old unpaid principal in Phop Phra district supplemented his center’s income.
She does Vit si kyawa famous Burmese rice flour fried cake, which is sold for a modest profit and also raises a few goats to sell when the center specifically needs extra money.
“I’m doing everything I can,” she said. “This center is my life.”
The homemade water filtration system is maintained by teachers to use clean water.
Ensuring food security and more
In Mae Ramat district, less than a kilometer from the Myanmar border, a remote migrant learning center can only be reached by a bumpy road eight kilometers off the main road. The school’s 29-year-old principal said the school relies on five solar panels for limited use for dormitory lighting and groundwater pumping.
He said his team of five other teachers are working hard to serve the needs of the 50 residents, growing their own rice and maintaining the pipes and filtration system to provide clean water.
“Even though the children are safe here, they are worried about their parents on the Myanmar side,” he said.
A math teacher.
‘We can still hear the gunshots’
Before the conflict in Myanmar, many children followed their parents to Thailand to find work. However, with the ongoing conflicts ahead, returning “home” is unlikely to be an option.
For them, going to school means being protected, said the 38-year-old vice principal of a center for about 200 children in Mae Sot district, about 10 km from the Myanmar border.
“We can still hear gunshots during fighting, but children feel safe here,” he said. “We are doing our best to ensure that we can keep the center open for children.”
Drying clothes at the playground of a learning center for migrants.
Educational support and more
However, many educators expressed concerns, worrying about the cost of running their centers and whether they could accommodate the expected student arrivals and ensure safety. worthy for children or not.
To support ongoing efforts, Pilat Udomwong, director of the Thai Ministry of Education office in charge of Tak province, said the agency’s mission is to monitor operating conditions and register teachers and students. immigrant students and support centers through partnerships.
A number of projects have achieved results, including projects supported by the Government of Japan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) regional office in Bangkok, since August last year, has upgraded its facilities, installed IT equipment for flexible learning programs and provided food to support basic accommodation for 20 center.
This means that more than 7,000 immigrant students now have three nutritious meals a day.
Children return home after school at a learning center for migrants.
Grow up to have a better life
During a recent site visit, UNESCO Bangkok education program specialist Rika Yorozu emphasized that the right to education is part of the agency’s mandate.
“We want to ensure that children have ongoing support to continue their education regardless of nationality,” she said. “Teacher [in the migrant learning centres] are doing great work. They are dedicated and need this support.”
While support is being deployed, hardworking teachers still take on many roles in keeping the center running. The principal of a center in Phop Phra summarized the common sentiment echoed across many districts.
“I will continue to do these things for children,” she said. “My happiness is to see the children smile, be safe, eat well and grow up to have a better life.”
