ActionAid Thailand’s 2019 donor visit went down with success on 7 July 2019 at Wat Khok Thong, Pho Tharam District, Ratchaburi Province. The visit offered our donors and supporters an opportunity to know more about the school’s innovative curriculum and meet with the director and teachers whose team work has made Wat Khok Thong a model school for many others. The visitors on behalf of all contributors also handed the school a cheque of 26,100 baht to help improve students’ learning environment and hygiene.
We would like to thank all 23 participants for the overwhelming response and eager spirit, meeting us at the ActionAid Thailand office early Saturday morning before traveling to Wat Khok Thong School together by bus. Lucky for us that the school opened this Saturday as a substitute working day for one of their teacher training days.
The donors and supporters might have familiarized themselves with innovative educational tools prior to the trip, but this was the first time many got to see them in use first-hand and participate in various activities – from Jitta-sueksa, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) to Wat Khok Thong School’s principles of learning, including positive psychology, creating an empowering community at the school, commending good behaviours, and respect for human rights and values.
The innovative active learning method of Jitta-sueksa develops emotional and spiritual intelligence in students. Teachers can employ various types of Jitta-sueksa exercises to help their students get ready for the day ahead. On this visit, participants were able to observe the exercises of Grade 1-6 classes, not to mention practice Jitta-sueksa, specifically meditation and the “brain gym” games, themselves with the help of Ms. Som, a sixth-grade teacher.
During the lunch break, participants helped out at the two ice-cream stations, where they prepared bread rolls for coconut ice-cream with different toppings for students who were lining up for dessert after finishing their meal.
Then participants presented a cheque of 26,100 baht to school director Ms. Chanita Pilachai on behalf of everyone who had contributed to the school’s improvement of its playground and setting up polypropylene nets around class buildings keep pigeons away for students’ hygiene. As the contributions exceeded the amount originally appealed for thanks to our supporters’ generosity, the remaining amount went to renovating the pre-school class washrooms and installing new fans for the activity room.
Before afternoon classes begin, each class would do a session of body scan, which relaxes the body, relieving it from stress and improving concentration. Visit participants also got a chance to try body scanning themselves.
“Both Jitta-sueksa in the morning and body scan are ways of meditation that are more suitable for school children than the Buddhist kind of meditation practice,” participant Ms. Kliewphan reflected after the session. “This activity is a key component to holistic education, which seeks to develop a person academically, socially, emotionally and psychologically. What the school’s method is doing is instilling a good habit for the children from a young age.
After learning more about advancing small school education through innovative tools and methods, all 23 participants teamed up with students to give a new colourful look to the school’s playground equipment.
ActionAid Thailand would like to thank each and every participant of this visit. Although there were constraints of time, everyone gave their full cooperation and presence in all the activities.
We would also like to thank Wat Khok Thong School, the school director and teachers, for a warm welcome and giving us the opportunity to connect donors and contributors to the small school they support. We hope to be able to arrange more activities like this in the future. Please stay tuned to our channels – e-newsletter, Facebook and Twitter.
The donation of 26,100 baht contributed by ActionAid Thailand regular donors and one-time supporters has been given to Wat Khok Thong in full with no operating costs deducted. The school has issued receipts for tax deduction claim.