In order to remember what I learned I wrote it all down. I'm just going to paste what I wrote here. Some of you might find it interesting, because it shows how what we do here is actually a real service to communities and ethnic groups in Thailand and Burma. Hopefully we will be able to become more efficient so that our students will reap greater rewards for their time.
America
| Grade | Age | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-school | 4 | |
| Elementary School | Kindergarten-6 | 5-12 |
| Junior High | 7-8 | 12-14 |
| High School | 9-12 | 14-18 |
Public School – Free
Private School - $$$$
Homeschool - $
Thailand
| Grade | Age | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-school | 1-3 | 3-6 |
| Level 1 (ป) | 1-6 | 7-12 |
| Level 2 (ม) | 1-3 | 12-15 |
| Level 3 (ม) | 4-6 | 15-18 |
Public School – Families pay for tuition/uniforms/housing (where applicable). It sounds like there isn’t any free school. Tuition increases each grade. Students in the hilltribes/mountains often start Level 1 later (around 9 years old) and get to some point within Level 2. It doesn’t seem like many get through Level 3. It appears many who do not get through Level 3 go on to Bible Colleges a year or two after leaving school. Often missionaries start these schools and they are inexpensive or free. Some have requirements that the students need to pass Level 2 or be 18.
An example for tuition would be B5,000 for 2 girls (one in pre-school and one in Level 1.1) for one term (6 months). This does not include costs for uniforms, which are about B350 apiece. This is about $380 US for one year. That doesn’t sound like much but it is if the average income is about 150B/day (we’re only talking about in the mountains here – not cities), than that is a lot. One of my students guessed that people in the mountains make between B30,000-50,000 ($938-$1563) per year. She also said, though, that there are many who don’t make that much. Also, their income depends on their crops. Farmers here also end up buying seeds and supplies on credit, only to go into debt or have to pay those off when the crops come in.
Literacy: Online the figure I found was a 93% literacy rate in Thailand. After asking about it, that seems right. It’s just that most older people read and write in their native languages not Thai. Among the younger generation, most read Thai and their tribal language.
Myanmar/Burma
| Grade | Age | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-school | 3-5 | |
| 10 Standards | 1-10 | 5-15,16,17 |
Students have to pass each standard. Many students do not pass every one, so they repeat standards until they pass. This is why it’s hard to put an age on when they graduate from school.
Government School – Tuition, Uniforms
Boarding School – Tuition, Uniforms, Housing
Apparently many students in the cities are able to go to school. Most students now want to complete all 10 Standards, otherwise getting a job is very difficult. My students said that one way people are able to pay for their children is by negotiating prices with boarding schools. Some headmasters apparently try to be nice, others want to charge a lot. It also seems like tuition is greatly influenced by the help students get. Many students (who have the money) get tutors and more materials. This seems to affect the average student more than it would in the US.
For those outside the cities it is very difficult to get a good education. There are many fees that must be paid throughout the year. An estimate from one student was $1000/year/student for the 10th Standard (each level costs more). Although each level costs more, I think this seems high. Online it appears that students pay closer to $200/year. Either way, it’s a lot of money if you have 5 kids. My student explained that for every little fee the family must figure out what they can give up so it can be paid. The students guessed that most in the villages just make it to the 4th Standard and then work on the farm.
They also explained that the 10th Standard exams are out of synch with what they learn. Students who are often at the top of their class might not ever pass the test. Students who did not have good grades might actually pass. (It doesn’t seem like this has much to do with bribery or cheating, since this happened within my student’s family. The youngest sister had the best grades and couldn’t pass, three others didn’t have the best grades and did pass.)
That's my research for the day! I hope it was of some interest.
PS - If someone knows how to increase the width of my tables in Blogger, please let me know. I cannot figure it out!
