1. Academic Opportunities for Burmese Migrant Students in Takua Pa Charlotte Fraser MA in International Development Studies, Chulalongkorn University

2. Why is education integration important for migrant students? Despite laws and policies, previous studies show a low number of migrant students are accessing education in Thailand, both formal and non-formal. The majority of migrant students in Thailand receive education from non-formal, migrant schools. Students without certification may be deprived of higher education and opportunities for skilled work, making it difficult to improve their economic situations in the future. Migrant parents are often reluctant to send their children to Thai schools. Integration into the formal system in Thailand gives students the opportunity to study beyond primary level as far as University, as well as get social security benefits. Integration gives an opportunity for a stable, long-term education for migrant students who will remain in Thailand for the duration of their school years. The educational achievements of migrant students must be recognised in order for them to be able to fulfil their right to education.

3. The Right to Education - Modifying the 4As Framework This study uses the right to education as a central concept. The Right to Education project’s 4As Framework is commonly used as a way to asses the fulfilment of the right to education, by measuring the Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability and Adaptability. This study requires the framework to go one step further to include Accreditation as a key component. Accreditation increases possibilities for integration between the formal and non-formal systems.

4. Research Question How do three different models for primary education in Takua Pa district prepare Burmese migrant students for integration into the formal system for completion of compulsory education in Thailand?

5. Research sites Schools: 1.Ban Pak Weep Thai School, Ban Pak Weep: Located on Route 4, 20km south of Takua Pa town 2.FED Unified Learning Centre, Thonkamin: Located along a small dirt track, 3km off main Route 4, 25km south of Takua Pa town 3.CDC Ban Nam Kem, Ban Nam Kem: Located 10km east of Takua Pa town off main Route 4 Takua Pa is a district covering 600km 2, located in Phang Nga province. There are an estimated 15-20,000 migrant workers in Takua Pa, of which around 10% (1500-2000) are school-age children. Migrant workers come predominantly from Tanintharyi, Mon State and Karen State to work in construction, rubber plantations, fishing, and restaurants and hotels. There are only two migrant schools in the district and while Thai schools accept migrant students, only a few have Burmese students enrolled.

6. 2015-16 total enrolment of 121, 71 Burmese and 50 Thai. Numbers of Burmese students attending on a regular basis is more like 20-25. Migrant students are required to take a Thai language test and provide documentation to enrol. Funding from the Thai government on a per-student basis. Students pay only a 50-100 baht token fee per month, making it an affordable option. Most migrant students were born in Thailand or lived here most of their lives so language is not an issue. No discrimination reported from Thais to Burmese, only from Burmese to Burmese. Children studying in Pakweep have the opportunity to continue to secondary education in the Thai formal system. Burmese students can study Burmese language at the ULC school at weekends so they can develop their skills. Ban Pakweep Thai School

7. Run as a project of the Foundation for Education and Development’s Education Programme and opened for academic year 2012-13. Not a registered school – students receive no accreditation. 2015-16 total enrolment of 296, providing education for Burmese and Rohingya students from Nursery – Grade 9. Follows Burmese curriculum. High drop out rate. Few students make it to the end of compulsory education. ULC encourages integration into Thai schools for families intending to stay in Thailand for the long term. Encourage parents to see the long-term benefits of a stable education. Runs an Integration Programme to help migrant students access Thai schools. Runs Burmese classes at the weekends for those students studying in Thai schools. FED Unified Learning Centre

8. Opened in 2005 as a project run by the New Light Foundation. Not a registered school – no accreditation. 2015-16 total enrolment of 170 providing education for Kindergarten – Grade 9 (though no Grade 9 students this year) Follows Burmese curriculum with Sewing and Technical Workshop as additions. Do not actively encourage integration. The CDC focuses on giving the students skills which will help them find work in the future. High drop out rates in upper primary levels. In an attempt to lower drop out rates, there is a scholarship programme in which Grade 6 students can start training to be a teaching assistant when they graduate. CDC works hard to encourage parents to keep their children in school until the end of basic education. CDC Ban Nam Kem

9. Barriers to integration Migrant parents tend to be reluctant to send their children to Thai schools. Previous studies have named affordability, discrimination, language and barriers to Thai schools. Not found to be issues in this study. Financial restraints on low-income migrant families mean children are made to drop out of school to start work. Children are most vulnerable to dropping out in the upper primary grades, heightening the need for education to remain available and accessible to the end of compulsory education. Parents’ plans for their children’s futures were found to be at odds with what the children envisaged. Parents plan to return to Myanmar but many migrant children do not feel the same pull to return. Integration between systems is relatively straightforward within primary level but becomes more problematic from primary to secondary due to curriculum incompatibility.

10. Opportunity - The MEII Founded in 2012, the Migrant Education Integration Initiative (MEII) is a network of migrant education organisations who are working towards achieving recognised accreditation for Burmese migrant students in Thailand. The MEII aims to bridge the gap between the formal and non-formal systems. They have designed a migrant-specific curriculum to be implemented in all non-formal schools in Thailand, compatible with both Thai and Myanmar formal systems to facilitate integration. The curriculum will facilitate integration between systems, giving migrant students more options for secondary education. Networking with the MoE of Thailand and Myanmar hopes to bring recognition to the MEII certification. However, benefits will only be seen if students are able to complete compulsory education to achieve certification. The schools in this study had differing awareness and opinions of the MEII. Communication and cooperation between non-formal schools is needed for the MEII to be successful.

11. Conclusion Thailand needs to accept migrants as long-term residents and recognise their education accordingly. Long- term, stable academic options are essential. Compatibility between the non-formal and formal system is essential for providing long-term, stable academic opportunities. Increased communication between MoE Thailand and Myanmar is necessary to enable the vision of the MEII. Some of the barriers to the Thai system named in previous research were not found to be problems in this study. What migrant parents fear may not be the case in reality. Low enrolment in Takua Pa district shows a need for education to be made more available in this area. Further research is needed to identify reasons for low enrolment. Many migrant parents do not plan for the long-term stability of their children. Possibilities for integration will give migrant students more options for future study and work, improving the economic and social security of the migrant community in the long run. While the MEII offers an exciting opportunity for recognised accreditation, the benefits will not be seen if children are unable to access or complete compulsory education.

12. Thank you.