Thai education has generally concentrated on literacy and numerical skills, with little emphasis on new ideas and creativity skills. The Mechai Pattana School intends to change this situation for poor, rural students. www.mechaifoundation.org/school.asp The school strives towards getting its pupils to perform at their full potential by focusing on developing the complete individual. The lessons at the school are focused on enabling students to analyze and create.

1. Winds of change
in Rural Education &
Economic Empowerment
Mechai Viravaidya Foundation Mechai Bamboo School

2. Our education
concentrates on
ROTE
MEMORIZATION
And emphasizes
literacy and
numerical skills

3. which
Produce
and
Followers

4. Grades Budget
12th grade O-Net Doubled in during last 8 years
Unit : 100,000 Million Baht
Science
50%
Thai
20 % of
Thai
National budget
English
Science
Mathematics
30%
English
17%
Mathematics
2003 2005 2007 2009 10% Year 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011
: TDRI, 16/2/12

5. Thai students’ Grades Lower Than
Asian Countries (Except Indonesia)
(Program for International Student Assessment) (Trends in Mathematical and Science Study)
Taiwan
Taiwan
Korea
Korea
Singapore
Singapore
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Japan
Japan
Malaysia
Thailand
Thailand
Indonesia Indonesia
Reading Mathematics Science
: TDRI, 16/2/12

6. World ranking 2012 % AVG.
( among 54 countries )
57.95
13 Malaysia
27 Indonesia 53.31
31 Vietnam 52.14
53 Thailand 44.36

7. ?
?
? ?

8. We need to To this
change the
school
From this

9. This can only be achieved
with the help of
the private sector

10. A Bold New Experiment in Education
has already begun…
Buriram
Bangkok
…Buriram Province
Among lowest 4% in educational attainment

11. The Bamboo School
Trying to craft
a New Generation of Thai Citizens

12. It is not just a school, but
A Lifelong
Learning Centers
and a hub for
Social and Economic
Advancement
for students, their families
and the entire community

13. How is
The Bamboo School
different
from other schools

14. Buildings constructed of Bamboo

15. Bamboo Structure of Dome
Village Development Partnership

16. World’s largest
Bamboo Geodesic Dome
Diameter = 30 meters

21. School Environment

22. School Environment

23. School fees paid by family with
400 hours
of community service (8 hours per week)
and planting 400 trees

24. Students perform 12 hours
of community service per week

25. They are also members of the
Purchasing and audit committees

26. Two students are elected from
the student council to become
members of the school board
Village Development Partnership

27. Students applying to enter Grade 7 are selected
by a committee of 8th, 9th & 10th grade students
with some guidance from teachers
27

28. Students participate in
teacher selection
and evaluation

29. One year studying in Pattaya
for 10 th Graders
Year 7,8,9, 11,12 students study in Buriram

30. Extracurricular Studies at Pattaya
Marine Transportation
Fishery
Industrial Estate
Petroleum Refinery
Intensive Agriculture

31. Village Development Partnership
Dormitory

32. 5:45 am Morning Run
after beach clean-up
Village Development Partnership
32

33. Letter writing
replaces telephones
Mobile Phones
can only be used
for one hour per week
Village Development Partnership

34. Student excursion

35. Student excursion

36. Work experience:
Hotel, Hospital, Restaurant

37. Giving back & sharing: entertaining young students
Music for schools and communities by
Thailand’s Biggest Ukulele Band
Village Development Partnership
Village Development Partnership

38. Our students are
encouraged & stimulated to

39. Village Development Partnership

41. Shoes vegetable garden
Village Development Partnership

42. American Standard vegetables

43. Project-Based learning
Students’ research and presentation to class
Village Development Partnership

44. E-Learning

45. Toilets

46. Compassion
46

47. Agriculture in a wheelchair
47

48. Understanding hunger

49. play
Sign language
help

50. Know alcohol:
Don’t let it control your life

51. Sex Education & AIDS

52. Students march to promote safe sex
Village Development Partnership

53. Bamboo School acts as IT Hub
for surrounding communities
Computers made available to children
in communities surrounding school

54. Our students and those from
30 surrounding villages
are trained to be
Barefoot IT Teachers
Village Development Partnership

55. Community IT Learning Room
Supervised by Barefoot IT Teachers

56. Community Services…
Student-Teach Project… in villages
Village Development Partnership

57. Starting a Village Toy Library
to promote the joy of
sharing & giving

58. Village Toy Library managers
( 8 – 14 years old )

59. Community Clean-up
Before borrowing toys
Village Development Partnership

60. Getting ready to exchange
plastic containers and cans for toys

61. Going home with joy

62. School close so students can
help farmers
during rice planting & harvest
Village Development Partnership

63. All students are involved
in tackling inequalities
…and in proposing solutions
especially for vulnerable groups
Village Development Partnership

64. Income generating activities
for vulnerable groups
(Mushroom growing for handicapped)

65. Identifying
Corruption & Solutions

66. Students’ Good Deeds Van

67. Students’ Good Deeds Bus

69. Music for schools and communities by
Thailand’s Biggest Ukulele Band
The “Bamboo” Band

70. In concert

72. We believe that
people coming from
rural society
must exhibit skills in
agriculture
and remain on the land

73. School Poverty Eradication Farm
Using 1,600 square meters (3 Tennis courts)
Village Development Partnership

74. Business Agriculture Training
for Students (Barefoot MBA)

75. School Poverty Eradication
and Social Enterprise Farm

76. School Social Enterprise Farm
Village Development Partnership

77. Mushrooms using retired beach umbrella
500 mushroom bags per tent
Village Development Partnership

78. School Social Enterprise Farm
Village Development Partnership

79. To provide opportunities
for people in wheelchairs
to learn agribusiness.

80. Much higher productivity around lime trees
100 Bags
Village Development Partnership

81. 700 vegetable plants per 2.5 Sqm. each year
( 100 bags x 7 cycles)
Village Development Partnership

82. Agriculture for vision problems
82

83. Animal raising
83
Village Development Partnership

84. Out of Season Lime
in septic tank cement rings

85. Starving trees
of water for 20 days

86. Explosion of lime flowers
after removing cover

87. Matured Limes
Fruits begin to appear
(March – May)
Village Development Partnership

88. The Bamboo School introduces
a new way of cultivation
for people who do not own land
Cantaloupe
The old way

89. Fruits & vegetables
grown in recycled plastic bags

90. Young vines
Village Development Partnership

91. Cantaloupes ready for harvest
after 2 months

92. Vegetables grown in flood water
New idea for Rainy Season

93. Hydroponic vegetables

94. Bamboo school students and their parents
learn how to become capable entrepreneurs
and contribute funds to support the school

95. Quick return on investment
Bean sprouts, crickets, frogs,
ant caviar, vegetables
Village Development Partnership

96. Products from School Farm

97. Student Social Enterprise to cover school fees
Profit=100,000 Baht (US$3,000) /year/student in year 3
Beginning in 2013
Village Development Partnership 97

98. Businesses operated by students
Village Development Partnership

99. Businesses operated by students

100. Students food processing venture
50% of profits donated for scholarships
of poor primary schools children

101. Our students select and award scholarships
to children in government primary school
Village Development Partnership

102. The school is determined to
inspire students
to become citizens who:
• Are honest, willing to share
• Innovative and resourceful
• happy & caring
• Possess management & business skills
• Practice & promote gender equality
and democracy
and make society a better place

103. The Bamboo School is now
assisting and empowering other rural
institutions & communities
With experience from
the Community Development Partnership
and the help of the private sector
Communities
Schools Temples

104. Social Enterprises Farm
being established in rural schools

108. Temples

109. Temples

110. Social Enterprise Farm
in communities

111. Social Enterprise in communities

112. Training
for Government
School Teachers
by The Bamboo School
4. Philanthropy
5. Corruption

113. Teacher Training Activities

114. Our students are also involved in
training of teachers & students
At Government Schools
Village Development Partnership

115. School-Based Integrated
Rural Development
(SCHOOL - BIRD)

116. 6 Key components of
the School-Based Integrated
Rural Development
to improve the quality of life and eradicate poverty
1. Community Participation
and Empowerment
2. School Lunch Farm and Social Enterprise
3. School & Community Micro Credit Fund
4. Health, Sanitation & Environment
5. Teachers’ Training
6. Management & Mentoring

117. Community Participation
1 and Empowerment
Cleaning of Village, School and Temple

118. Community Participation
1 and Empowerment
Community needs assessment

119. School Lunch Farm
2
and Social Enterprise

120. School Lunch Farm
2
and Social Enterprise
Strong Community Participation

121. School Lunch Farm
2
and Social Enterprise

122. School Lunch Farm
2
and Social Enterprise
Using half an acre of land
Village Development Partnership

123. School & Community
3
Micro Credit Fund

124. School & Community
3
Micro Credit Fund
Vegetables Chilies

125. School & Community
3
Micro Credit Fund

126. School & Community
3
Micro Credit Fund
Village Development Partnership

127. 4 Health, Sanitation and
Environment

128. 4 Health, Sanitation and
Environment
Village Development Partnership

129. 4 Health, Sanitation and
Environment

130. 4 Health, Sanitation and
Environment

131. 4 Health, Sanitation and
Environment

132. 4 Health, Sanitation and
Environment
Green Toy Library

133. 5 Teachers’ Training

134. 5 Teachers’ Training

135. 6 Management & Mentoring

136. Three Major Roles of the Bamboo School
• Students
Education & • Teachers
Skills Training
• Villagers
The Mechai • Families
Bamboo Income
Generation
• Communities
School • Institutions
• Schools
Capacity • Temples
Building • Hospitals
• Small Jails
With support of the private sector

137. Our school in the 21st Century
Hub for
Teacher
Economic
Training
& Social
Facility
Progress
Lifelong Occupational &
Learning Entrepreneurial
Center Training
School

138. On the way to becoming
Management trainees of
Village Development Partnership
138

139. Future Preparatory Schools for:
1. Teachers
2. Modern Agro-Business
3. Hospitality, Travel, and Tourism
4. Health (Nurses and Medical
Personnel)
5. Computer & IT
6. Energy

140. First sponsor of the school
60 Rooms Hotel
Village Development Partnership

141. Business for Rural Education
& Development Co., Ltd.
A social enterprise to support
the School in the long run

142. Financial resource needs
Donations
Family & friends General public
Social Enterprise
(Future expansion)
Endowment
(Long term operating cost)
Construction
Operating cost

143. We will succeed in crafting this
vital new generation
If there is genuine support from
the private sector

144. Corporations and individuals
are authorized by the Ministries
are authorized by the
of Finance and Education
to deduct from their taxes
twice the amount
donated to the school

145. Revenue
Department
document
explaining
tax deduction
for
donations to
education

146. mechai@pda.or.th
www.mechaifoundation.org
Mechai Viravaidya Foundation Mechai Bamboo School
Population and Community Development Association