Together for Change: Public and Private Collaboration for Education
Parental divorce, children living with grandparents, and drug-related issues are examples of challenges the Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) of Prachinburi aims to address to improve educational equity and access for children. The Teach For Thailand Foundation and the PAO of Prachinburi have signed a collaborative Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to enhance students' academic capacity and place Teach For Thailand Fellows in schools under the PAO for two years.
“Most of our students come from rural areas. We have to accept all of them into the schools, so we face various issues, such as illiteracy and family conflicts,” said Phanida Chanthawong, Director of the Division of Education, Religion, and Culture at the PAO of Prachinburi.
“I wasn’t familiar with Teach For Thailand before. However, our schools need both financial support and personnel to assist in education.”
During her fieldwork, Director Phanida learned about a potential collaboration between the PAO and Teach For Thailand through a recommendation from Ms. Salee Cherd-Choo, director of Srirak School, one of Teach For Thailand’s partner schools. Director Phanida also observed one of the Fellows’ classrooms firsthand.
“I visited a class and saw excellent outcomes. Both academic performance and student attendance improved, and the students reported feeling more comfortable and engaged with the teacher.”
“The recruitment of Fellows is also very impressive. Despite lacking a pedagogical background, these Fellows are committed and possess the skills needed to create safe and inclusive activities for students. They work closely with both the school and the community, building trust with parents and making learning more meaningful for the students.”
“The Fellows’ support has also enabled us to conduct household visits more effectively and gain deeper insights into students’ challenges. They have built trust within the community, which has strengthened the relationship between the community and the school.”
“I recognized the alignment of our goals to improve students’ lives. I want students in other schools to have the same opportunities as those in better contexts, which motivated me to work with the Foundation to expand this program to other schools.”
The PAO of Prachinburi and Teach For Thailand then established a joint effort to recruit and deploy six Fellows to work at three schools under the PAO in the upcoming semester. The PAO will partially subsidize the project, while Teach For Thailand will train and supervise the Fellows for two years.
“All schools should provide equal educational opportunities. Students should be able to pursue what they are passionate about, and we will support them in that,” Director Phanida concluded. “I thank the Foundation and its supporters for their dedication to education and for providing children in rural areas with equitable access to learning.”
Education development is not solely the responsibility of the public sector; it requires collaboration between public, private, and community stakeholders to achieve meaningful change.
Take part in improving Thai education, so that one day all children and youth can have equitable access to quality education and the ability to choose their own futures. Visit www.teachforthailand.org.
