Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC ) Ministry of Education Benjalug Namfa, Ph.D. Senior Expert & Consultant Multigrade Teaching in the Small Schools of Thailand

Outline  Basic Information of Thai Education  MGT in Practice  MGT Effects  Policy Recommendations

 1997 Constitution  1999 National Education Act  All Thai citizens have the right and duty to obtain 12 – year Free Education Provision 9 - year Compulsory Education  (Children, youth, women, the elderly, the underprivileged, people with disabilities and gifted people) Thai Education Policy Cabinet resolution: Public schools in Thailand for migrants and stateless individuals 2005

LOGO Ministry of Education Office of the Permanent Secretary Office of the Permanent Secretary Office of the Education Council Office of the Education Council Office of the Higher Education Commission Office of Vocational Education Commission Independent Agencies Office of the Minister Office for Monitoring & Evaluation Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) 225 Educational Service Area Office (ESAO) 30,816 schools 183 Primary ESAOs 42 Secondary ESAOs

LOGO Pre-Primary Education Primary Education Lower Secondary Education Upper Secondary Education Higher Education Special Education Approximate age Graduate Level Vocational Edu. Short-course training Special vocational Edu. 4 Key Stages Grade Lower than Bachelor's degree & Bachelor degree level Thai Education System

Primary schools: 28,358 Secondary schools: 2,361 Welfare schools: 51 Special need schools: 46 Number of schools (Source: OBEC: 10 Jun 2015) OBEC in a Glance Total: 30,816

Basic Curriculum strands 8 Learning areas 5 Learners’ key competencies Learner development activities Standards-based curriculum Set key desirable attributes Standards and indicators for each grade level Core curriculum represents 45% of Basic Education Curriculum – 8 learning areas Clear vision, goals, expected learner capacities, desirable attributes; standards and indicators; allotted time for each subject area and evaluation criteria; guidelines & manuals for implementation

Thai Language Mathematics Science Social studies, Religion and Culture Health and Physical Education LearningAreasLearningAreas Art Career and Technology Foreign Languages Learner Development Activities The contents are divided into 8 learning areas

1. Communication capacity 2. Thinking capacity 3. Problem-solving capacity 4. Capacity for applying life skills 5. Capacity for technological application Learners’ Key Competencies

1. Patriotism 2. Honesty 3. Self-discipline 4. Active learning 5. Sufficiency lifestyle 6. Diligence 7. Thainess 8. Public-mindedness Learners’ Desired Characteristics

National core curriculum Local / school needs Basic Education Curriculum 2008

Additional Courses Learning Time Structure Core Curriculum G.1-3 G.4-6 G.7-9 G Additional Courses CORE CURRICULUM

 Decreasing the number of students, 50.55% of schools, having less than 120 students  Educational quality issue  Effective educational management o Cost-effectiveness is the ratio of learning gains to the costs of inputs o Human resources management  Education for All, reach the unreached child & accessibility of education provision.  Schools in area of low population. Why Multigrade School?

Number of students Percentage of school size is divided by the number of students (Source: OBEC, 10 Jun 2015) (Total number of schools= 30,186)

Number of small schools 15 Year Small schools (Less than 120 students) Percentage of total schools , % , % , % , % , % , % , % , % , % , % , % (Source: OBEC, 10 Jun 2015)

Number of students Percentage of small schools is divided by the number of students (Source: OBEC, 10 Jun 2015)

Appropriate number of students to make the most learning outcome for each child Multi-age classroom provide unlimited growth

Montessori Education Small schools in New Zealand

It is about changing mindset of teachers and educators Multigrade School in Thailand

Multigrade teaching approaches in Thailand emphasize:  Teacher requirements: knowledge, skills, attitudes  Class size determination and student grouping  Learning schedule and designed lesson plan  Organized and structured classroom  Support and cooperation from stakeholders

How does Thailand put MGT into practice? o Provide a professional development o Develop the national MGT guidelines o Develop MGT learning materials o Monitor, evaluate, and research

Teacher Professional Development Professional Development Engagement & hard work Understanding Differentiated Instruction & Montessori Education & Inclusive Education Designing Integrated unit & lesson plan for MGT Classroom organization, Management, and disciplines

ESAOs’ Educators Capacity Building  1,240 Educators from 182 ESAOs (6 people/ESAO) To understand the principle of multigrade teaching To set the area-based guideline for small school improvement plan  3,770 Schools

Develop the teacher guidelines on Multigrade teaching  Integrated unit plans & lesson plans in concert with the National Basic Curriculum (both hard copy & soft file )  Guideline on Multigrade &Montessori classroom management

Learning Materials Development  Reading level kits for K-G3 (literacy & thinking skills)  Reading ability set for G1-3 (50 booklets)

Learning Materials Development  Mathematics Curriculum Support (G1-3)  Intensive Thai-Language for Non- Thai Students  Individual student records

R&D as a tool for follow up and monitoring  Analyze methods & tools of follow up and monitoring  Research-based development and implementation  Focus on teacher networking  Establish the centers of excellence for MGT

 Reducing the risk of traveling long distance between home and school  Helping students attend a school close to home  Reducing risk of dropout and out-of-school children  Better student learning achievement lead to more progress in Ordinary- National Educational Test (O-NET)  Enhancing social and emotional development, greater than students who learn in monograde classrooms MGT Effects

 MGT teachers have been engaged in professional development focusing on student-centered ethos and methods  MGT Teachers were trained to become facilitators, design lesson plans, and focus on individual learning needs and abilities

Overall National MGT scheme : Policies, strategies, and measures Determine mechanisms and establish an authorized agency: planning, budgeting, supervision, follow up, monitoring, and evaluation Develop guidelines on MGT schools: o Research & innovation development on MGT o Consistent professional development & capacity building: Teachers, school directors, educators o Educational support systems: platform for a community of practice, Communications, advocacy, and public relations Policy Recommendations

Photos : Nakhon Sawan ESAO1 / Soratda/ Wongduan