Free School Report 2010

8/7/2019 Free School Report 2010

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FREE-SCHOOL PROJECT

PROJECT SUMMARY

May 2010

The Mirror Foundation is an organization

that produces motivated, active people.

We focus on the creation and innovation

of social development.



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Overall operation of Free Schools

Project

(May 2009-March 2010)

SUMMARY

In summary, the project has been extremely successful. There has been a definite increase in children

attending school. Awareness has been raised among parents and within communities about the

importance of schooling and education in many villages.

Overall, three schools are now sustainable and self-sufficient without our further assistance through this

project. These include Pa Gao School, Pra Pan Aree School and Doi Pu Meun School. All of these

schools now have funding provided within the local government budget to pay for teachers’ employment.

Strategy



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The Mirror Foundation strategy within this project, has firstly been to consult with the local government about

which areas and communities we should open the Free School Project. This approach is taken as involving

the local government in the early stages of the project provides accurate information about which

communities require assistance. In addition, encouraging local ownership from the early stages of the project

increases local government participation and therefore also increases the potential that local government will

wish to support the project in the long term, therefore leading to sustainability.

SUMMARY OF PROJECT AREAS



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PROJECT AREA OVERVIEW

Bann Pra Ju The project has been in operation for two years.

In 2010 this project was successful because the

students were very interested to learn. Already

90% of them go to Huay Nam Yen school to

participate in the standard education system.

Huay Nam Yen’s director has responded very

well because the students of Free School project

had learn the basic education with us.

Some of the students feel that they are too old to

go to school, and that it is too late to start, and

do not want to be included in elementary school.

Bann Ling Pu Ton (2 teachers) The Free School project was successful. The

parents are now aware of the importance of

education. Now about 80% of the students of

this village attend school at Hua Na and Tong

Sung School.

In 2010, both Hua Na and Tong Sung schools

received additional funding from the government

budget to extend the available student quota of

children who come from poverty-stricken

backgrounds, and who lack Thai citizenship, to

participate in standard education.

Now the children travel to Hua Na and Tong

Sung and attendance is increased at these

schools, and the number of our students in Free

School Project has reduced.

Some children feel that they are too old to

commence schooling, and they do not want to

learn. Some of the students are very poor, but

have a strong desire and intention to learn. We



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are currently looking to raise scholarship funds

to support these students through the Mirror

Foundation Hill Tribe Scholarship Fund.

Bann Doi Pu Meun School The project was successful. Most of the children

can now complete grading tests that can mean

attendance at school in town in a higher grade,

through skipping grades etc.

Teaching resources are now sufficient for

students to study. Additionally, the school has

been provided for in the local government

budget, so that they can hire our teacher to

continue to teach. We are now co-ordinating with

the school to assist in preparation and

management of the budget.

Bann Hoy Jan Si This project operated for two months in May and

June, 2009. This project stopped after two

months due to unforeseeable circumstances.

One night at the entrance area to the village, an

individual was raped and murdered.

The teacher that we had employed was scared

to go and teach in the village.

We met with the community regarding the

situation and it was decided to stop the project

for a period of time. The community understood

and apologized to us. The community hope that

in the future, a new teacher can be found to

teach in their community.

The community are still in need of this project

because many children are interested to study.

However, the village is far away from the closest





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government office and will be allocated funding

from the budget towards the contribution of

education. Due to this support from local

government, they will no longer require our

assistance.

Baan Huy Maung We ran this project for four months. The project

involved hiring a teacher to teach in the village.

However, the distance to the village was very far

to travel, about 25 kilomentres. As a result, the

teacher resigned. We have coordinated with the

local government education system in seeking a

new teacher. Now a new teacher has been

found that is available to teach at the village at

the night. Local government have agreed to pay

for the new teacher’s employment in this village.

Therefore this project will no longer require our

assistance.

Bann Ja Lor We intend to continue this project, as still many

children do not attend school. This is due to

parents and communities not knowing theimportance of education. Children in the village

are interested to learn but no one to take them to

school.

We intend to fund scholarships for many of the

children within the school.

Baan Huy Pa Rai We plan to continue this project, which is



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Other outcomes of the Free School Project

Overall, we have sought to consult and communicate with communities and encourage a grass-roots

approach to development. Principally, this has included the following activities.

Participation and communication We met with village leaders, village committees and villagers to help them to understand the

details of the project. The communities were overwhelmingly welcoming and optimistic towards the

project.

Over 2 years, we have assisted in increasing coordination and communication between

community leaders and teachers. We have worked with community and village leaders to make our

teachers more comfortable to work and to participate in community activities. We have also encouraged

currently facing barriers to success. These

include the fact that the learning area is too

small and is not sufficient in size to

accommodate the number of students who are

interested in learning. There is also no room for

storage of the teaching resources. This is a

problem as a group of teenagers tried to

vandalise and destroy the teaching resources

one night. There is therefore a strong need for

effective storage. There is also a lack of basic

materials such as school books, notebooks,

stationery etc.

Everyone in the village acknowledges the

importance of education, despite the distance to

travel to school. Teachers also display great

willingness to teach in this village.

In the next stages of this project, we aim to seek

out a new building to accommodate a larger

learning area as well as a effective and sufficient

storage for all teaching resources.



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creative and effective teaching and helped to reduce the conflicts between communities and

teachers. This has been and is now very effective.

In many of the areas and communities with which we work, the communities face ongoing

problems such as lack of access to and ownership of agricultural land, lack of Thai citizenship,

employment issues, and drugs. In turn, we try to source further information from the communities and

seek to find out the solutions to these problems. In part, this sometimes includes activating other project

teams of the Mirror Foundation to become involved in the community, for example the Citizenship Team.

Community participation in the Free School Project

Construction

The following project aims have been completed: To build temporary classroom for children in Project Free Schools at Huay Pa Rai village and Ja

Lor village by promoting for raising fund in the network of Thai volunteer project and group of company

and volunteer from Australia.

To build a storage room for all equipment at Ja Lor village. This project was supported by the

Mirror Foundation’s Eco-Tour and international volunteers.

To improve certain places (e.g. the church) at Pra Ju village. The church is used as the

classroom and learning space within Pra Ju village. However, the equipment within this building is old

and damaged. This includes tables, chairs and mats. New equipment is required and the Free Schools

Project will provide this in the future.

To liaise with students at Ram Kham Haeng University to work and build the hall at Doi Pu Muan

School in 2010.

Volunteer activities in teaching and fundraising

The following project aims have also been completed:

Organized the Thai volunteer program in May 2009 at Doi Pu Muaen village & school; to teach

and to promote love of reading, hygiene and entertain games for the children. This program ran for3

nights and 4 days.

Organized teaching activities in October at Ja Lor village, Huay Pu School. Children were

taught English by international volunteers, for 2 nights and 3 days.



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Organized a study tour for children at Baan Pa Gor to go to Bang Saen, Chon Bu Ri

Province on 15th

-18th

October 2009, supported by the Mirror Foundation.

Donated blankets / jackets

Donated 1,000 blankets to the villagers who participate within Free School Project. The parents

of the attending children received donations representing a range of villages, including, Ja Lor village,

Huay Pa Rai village, Ling Pu Ton village, Pa Jou village, Pa Gai Dai Center in November 2009.

Donated 400 jackets to the children in the Free Schools program on November 2009. These

donations from generous people and sent to 8 project areas of the Free School Project.

Meetings and Training Program for Free School Teachers

Organized meetings with the teachers to explain and raise awareness and understanding about

the operation of the Free Schools Project in May and June 2009. This meeting was organized by the

director of the Mirror Foundation: Mr. Veera Yooram & Ms. Parisudha Sudhamongkala.

The teachers of the Free Schools Program were workshop participants at a workshop about

child psychology and best practice of care by the District Education's in Fang district on August 2009.

The teachers of the Free School Project were participants at the Operation Meeting Program.

The meeting combined a program of teaching, working with children and child psychology in Mae Eye

district on November 2009

The teachers of the Free Schools Project were participants in courses about working with hill

tribe communities run by the Mirror Foundation, in Chiang Rai, on March 2010.

Promotion of the Free School Project

The Free School Project has been promoted in a number of ways in the communities with which we work.

The Free School Project was promoted in “Secret” magazine, a social responsibility magazine.

Workers at the Mirror Foundation were interviewed about the project and needs of the project were also



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promoted, such as fundraising required and donation of equipment. Feedback from this

promotion was ecxtremely positive, with subsequent large amounts of donations of books, pens, pencils,

erasers, rulers.

The Free School Project was also promoted in the “Jud Pra Gai Dao” column of the Bangkok

Biz newspapers

The Free School Project team were also interviewed at the radio station FM 107.5 on “The

Goodness Seed” about the details of the project.

Obstacles and Challenges of the Project

There were some obstacles and challenges within the project, these included:

Travel and transport to reach the working area and the distance of each area was quite difficult.

Some project areas were accessible only by dirt road, and some were quite far, upto approximately 20 -

30 kilometres away (Baan Huay Pa Rai) from the Mirror Foundation. As some areas were inconvenient

and took a long time to reach, communications and discussions with the teachers were sometimes not

possible.

Lack of cell phone signal due to remote location, and therefore could not make an appointment

with the teacher in advance and sometimes therefore did not meet.

The teachers were seeking long term employment, but we are unable to guarantee long term

employment with the Free Schools Project, as when the project is successful, we do not provide further

assistance.

Some teachers did not have good work ethic, and sometimes missed class without notice, or

did not pay enough attention in their teaching.

Inadequate maintenance and taking care of the teaching resources that we provided to

teachers, and teachers spent in excess of provided funds for purchasing teaching resources..

Summary overview of project areas

From May 2010 to March 2011, we worked in ten communities.

Project Area Summary Overview Status



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Bann Ja Lor Continuing

Bann Hoy Pa Rai Continuing

Bann Doi Pa Wai, Sri Dong

Yen sub-district, Chai pa

Gan, Chiang Mai

Has 46 children in the village.

Has 50 people in the village

that cannot read and speak

in Thai. They requested

opening the Free School

Project as there was no

funding provided by local

government.

Requested commencement

Baan Pong Jok, Mae Ta Rok

sub-district, Chai Pra Gan,

Chiang Mai;

Has approx. 40 children that

are aged under 6 years old

and approx. 13 children over

7 years old that do not yet go

to school. They requested




government.


Baan Huay Sai, Doi Lor sub-

district, Chai Pra Gan, Chiang

Mai;

Has 36 children aged under 6

years old and approx 16

children over 7 years old that

do not yet go to school.

About 10 people in the

village cannot read and speak

in Thai. They requested




government.


Baan Huay Nam Dib, Sri

Dong Yen sub-district, Chai

Pa Gan, Chiang Mai;

Has approx. 28 children aged

under 6 years old and

approx. 14 children over 7

years old that do not yet go

to school. They requested







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government.

Baan Hauy Pong Pattana,

Mae Ta Rok, Chai Pa Gan,

Chiang Mai;

Has 16 children aged under 6

years and approx 16 children

aged over 7 years old; and

approx. 7 children over 12

years old that do not yet go

to school. About 20 people in

the village cannot read and

speak in Thai. They

requested opening the Free

School Project as there was

no funding provided by local

government.


Future Opportunities

Ex Zen Ces Company Limited have indicated that they will provide scholarships to students of

the Free School Project, in a lump sum amount of 20,000 Baht for education started as of May 2010.

The project is also in the process of liasing with and surveying an additional three communities.

Projected Budget for Free School Project in 2010

Teacher Salary for 10 schools, 10 teachers = 42,000B

School Equipment = 5,000 B

Coordination (petrol, car, accommodation from Chiang Rai = 10,000 B

to Fang two times per month)

Project Coordinator = 6,000 B

Hill Tribe Children Fund = 6,000 B

PROJECTED TOTAL per Month 69,000B



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PHOTO GALLERY

Lunch at Pa Gor School.



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Children play with toys donated at

Pa Gor School

Donated jacket at Bann Par Gor

School

Director with children with

donations at Doi Pu Meun School



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Teacher and children at Doi Pu

Meun School

Activities at Bann Pra Pan Aree

School

Activities at Pra Pan Aree

School



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Activities at Pra Pan Aree

School

Activities at Pra Gai Dao

Centre

Activities at Pra Gai Dao

Centre



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Children drinking milk

donated by the government

at the Pra Gai Dao Centre.

This program commenced

in October 2009 until May

2010

Activites at Ja Lor Village

Temporary classroom at Ja

Lor Village.

This classroom currently

needs improvement.



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Activities at Ja Lor Village.

Activities at Huay Pa Rai

Village.

Temporary classroom at

Huay Pa Rai Village.



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Kids at the village.

Activities at Bann Pu Ling

Ton Village.

Activities at Baan Pu Ling

Ton Village.

In the past, attendance at

these classes was greater

in

Number, however as

students are now attending

school,

Class sizes reduced



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significantly, showing that

the project

Was successful.

Children studying, who

have received scholarships

from

the Mirror FOundation.

Activities at Bann Pa Ju

Village.



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Activities at Bann Pa Ju

Village.

Temporary classroom at

Bann Pra Ju Village.

Child at Baan Pra Ju

Village.



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Child at Huay Pa Rai Village

Children at Bann Ling Pu

Ton Village.

Children at Bann Ja Lor

Village.



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Thank you for your support andpartnership, on behalf of all the students

and communities.

Child at Doi Pu Meun

Village.



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Documents

Free School Report 2010