Isaan, Thailand

Education for All in Thailand: Supporting a Teacher

portrait of a young boy at school in Thailand

Education should be an equal right for all, but that’s not always the case.

A trend in the past decade has seen small schools in rural Thailand suffering budget cuts so much that directors cannot afford a sufficient number of staff to maintain quality education. Without education, many children remain trapped in the cycle of poverty.

Bringing a teacher to Kamplafa

Mundo Exchange has been sending volunteers to teach English and working closely with Kamplafanatawee, a small school in a village near the Buengkan and Sakorn Nakorn Province border. Despite the budget cuts, this school’s director is determined to see his young students graduate. In 2020, with your donations, we were able to help the school hire a science teacher.

We are asking for your help once again. Kamplafa now needs the funding to hire a teacher to teach English along with other core subjects.

Just $200 a month can provide the students at Kamplafa with a necessary teacher.

In an impoverished area like this, it is critical that kids are able to attend school and receive a quality education. Education can help break the cycle of poverty and the kids from this area, while lacking in financial means, are incredibly smart. Despite their economic handicap, almost every year these students have scored higher on the ONET (end of the year general exam) than their peers from other schools in the area. These students have the desire to learn, and with the right tools for success these students will excel.

The teachers at Kamplafanatawee will not lose hope or give up on these children, and neither will we.

Opportunity for education should be a right available to all, not a privilege reserved for some.

Director Kittichai has made us aware of two needs: a teacher and supplies.

First and foremost, in order to maintain high quality education that every kid deserves, this school needs another teacher. There is not enough government funding to do so (or the government isn’t willing to invest in rural schools) and just $200usd a month will cover the cost of hiring a teacher to teach English and other necessary core subjects to the students at Kamplafanatawee School.

Second, he has expressed a need for books and school supplies. Just $50 can provide a classroom with printing paper and school supplies. If you would like to send us some children’s books in English, please let us know!

Lack of funding is a problem across Thailand, and even across Buengkan Province, so why did Mundo Exchange choose this particular school?

For a start, we know and trust this school. Mundo Exchange and our local partners have been sending volunteers to this school for over ten years. Kamplaphanatawee is blessed with a director, Kittichai, who truly has a heart for his students. He has had many opportunities over the years to increase his salary and position by moving to a larger school (as most school directors do), yet he instead chooses to stay here. He values education and understands the importance of keeping small schools like this one open for students who would otherwise not have access to education.

Kamplaphanatawee School has just under 100 students, and a very low budget. Many teachers here have given up their time and energy to come together and help teach in subjects outside of their own expertise in an attempt to pool resources. Both Kittichai and the other teachers understand that many families earn an average of 4,000 baht a month, and education is one of the best chances their students have to create a better life for themselves and their families.

For an average family of four, 4,000 baht is only $120USD a month. Since most people in this region 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 a school near home many of these students would be forced to discontinue their education, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

Kittichai and his teachers have worked hard to keep this school open for the students living in this village, and continue to provide their students with the right to education that they deserve. They have already sacrificed so much for this school, and we do not want to see them have to shut down due to inadequate funding. Every child deserves an equal chance for education, and we trust that every dollar we put into Kamplaphanatawee School will go towards ensuring the students get that chance.