How is Teaching Done

on the Beaches of Thailand

2018

Tailandia

When you think of Thailand and its wonderful islands, you can only imagine a beautiful beach with white sand, crystal-clear water, and many relaxation and fun activities aimed at tourists. However, when I visited southern Thailand, specifically the island of Koh Lipe, I wanted to get closer to everyday life and explore how its inhabitants live since, like any population, there are families with daily study and work routines.

To understand a bit of the social context of this island, it’s important to clarify that the main source of income for this population is tourism, whether in hotels, gastronomy, water sports, among others. The majority of the island is populated by hotels, with only a very small sector consisting of houses for the locals. So much so that many adults only come to Koh Lipe to work, and at the end of their workday, they travel by boat (taxis) to nearby islands where their homes are located.

During my stay in Koh Lipe, I visited one of the few schools on the island, and one of my first impressions or surprises was that there were no doors delimiting the school; literally, both students and anyone else could enter and exit without a problem. This made me reflect a bit on the purpose of schools, which should be to provide a physical space for play and learning, and not a place to carry out activities with strict schedules. It should be the students’ decision to be there to learn and have fun.

2018

Tailandia

As I continued my tour, I interacted with many children of all ages, joined in their games, and some of them even gave me a tour of the classrooms, showing me their books and study tools. Afterwards, I met with the school principal, who kindly took the time to discuss the current situation of the school and tell me about all the unseen characteristics.

2018

Tailandia

2018

Tailandia

It was at that moment that I understood the various issues that affect the educational quality of the students in this school. On one hand, the low budget for teacher salaries makes it difficult for many of them to make long trips from their homes to educate the children, resulting in a low professional demand for teaching positions. Additionally, due to the conditions on the island, there are occasional electricity failures, which affects the quality of internet needed by both students and teachers for knowledge acquisition and didactic tools for learning.

Another relevant aspect that we observed and discussed with the principal is the importance of teaching the students a second language, in this case, English, since the main economic source of the island and its surroundings in Thailand is tourism. For this reason, it would be enriching to have organizations and/or foundations that provide support to these schools with foreign volunteers who wish to contribute to the educational process of these children while enjoying their stay on this charming island.

Here ends my visit to this school, with many sensations and experiences that allow me to continue learning and understanding all the educational needs that exist in different places around the world. While for some institutions, having access to the internet and modern technology is basic and essential, for others, it is not. However, this is not an impediment to providing quality education to all boys and girls, and together, eliminating the barriers to learning.