Equal Education for Students
Every child has the right to an education, which is why Mundo Exchange is proud to support small schools in the Issan region dedicated to providing education to village children so they can have the chance to escape the cycle of poverty.
Education in Rural Thailand
While this video from the World Bank shows a small school in Chiang Mai as it’s example, this is a problem that directly mirrors small, village schools in the rural Northeast and all across the country. Budget cuts have led to a shortage of teachers lack of resources available to teachers leading to a lower quality education. Teachers often lack the budget for up to date learning materials and end up paying out of their own pockets.
How much funding a school receives depends on how many students they have, and with the overall population rate of students is (and is projected to continue) dropping, village schools are being hit the hardest with budget cuts. It is critical that these students have access to education so they can have the same opportunities as their peers from larger cities later on in life.
Every child should have the opportunity to access quality public education.
About the Schools
Dedication and perseverance.
Mundo Exchange has been working closely with and sending volunteers to a rural village school, Kamplaphanatawee. Despite the budget cuts, this school’s director refuses to give up and even sets aside part of his small salary to pay teachers and school fees out of pocket; he understands the importance of keeping small schools like this one open for students who would otherwise not have access to education.
We also support a number of temple schools in villages around Buengkan and some of Nong Khai Provinces. These schools have a very low budget and exist for the children of famlies in poverty who are unable to pay the basic inscription fees of the public schools. Many families in these villages earn around or less than 4,000 baht a month. For an average family of four that’s only under $120USD a month. Since most people in these regions work in the agricultural sector they are vulnerable to sudden income fluctuations due to economic or environmental troubles.
The government currently does not provide any financial assistance such as free school buses for students, and without these temple school near home many of these students would be forced to discontinue their education, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Our goal is to raise $7,000 annually to continue to help provide quality education they are receiving. These kids deserve the right to a high quality education, we would like to expand their horizons, spark curiosity, and inspire them. $7,000 will give these kids at Kamplafanatawee School and other small schools in the surrounding areas the well rounded education they have the same right to as their peers.