The Education Program at FED now operates 8 learning centers (informal schools) in Kuraburi, Takuapa, Thai Muang and Khok Kloy Districts in Phang Nga Province, southern Thailand. In these eight centers there are 36 teachers and over 400 students. Most of the students live in remote rubber plantations, construction sites or fisheries so they rely on the transportation provided by FED to get to their Learning centre and back home safely everyday. Some children have to spend 2 hours on the bus each way to and from their center.

The school curriculum follows the standard Burmese curriculum for Burmese, Mathematics, and social studies. A new English language curriculum, the “Let’s Go!” series, was recently introduced to our learning centers. It is a much more child friendly and interactive curriculum. In addition, students learn at least one hour of Thai language every day. Parents pay 200Baht per child, 300Baht for two children or 500Baht for 3 siblings or more. These fees are far more affordable and flexible than those of Thai schools and the money goes some way to helping us provide a nutritious lunch to each child, transportation, and a school health-education program which includes personal health care training and regular bi-weekly medical checkups for all the children. There are also regular events held at the learning centers and workshops for teachers and students alike. All teachers have undergone and will continue to undergo curriculum development training and child-centered teacher training.

The progress of the students is monitored through continuous academic assessments and end of year exams. Their wellbeing and behaviour is also closely observed by the Burmese and Thai teachers who have all also received child protection and child rights training.

Before transferring to Thai schools it is beneficial for Burmese children to learn Thai in an unthreatening environment. An active effort to bridge the divide between Thai schools and the Burmese community can, and has, gone some way in encouraging Burmese children to attend Thai schools. However, due to the nature of their migrant status, families often plan to return to Burma so they wish their children to be educated in Burmese and receive an education compatible with that in Burma. Furthermore, illegal and legal migrants alike are usually unable to afford the school tuition fees, transportation fees, uniform costs and other continuous costs. Other factors that prevent Burmese children attending Thai schools are that illegal migrants are simply too scared to send their children to a Thai school, especially as it is not uncommon for Burmese children to be discriminated against by some Thai children and in some cases, by Thai teachers.

The drive for providing an education to Burmese migrants is so that education can be used as a tool to break the cycle of poverty that afflicts these children and their parents. Most of the families of migrant children have themselves received little or no education and as such it is extremely difficult for them to find any work other than low paid, unskilled labour jobs. The jobs that migrants tend to do in Thailand are referred to as the 3 D’s; Dirty, dangerous and difficult. These worksites usually include rubber plantations, construction sites, fisheries and sawmills. Providing a learning space for the children not only improves their future prospects but it also keeps them safe from harm by removing them from dangerous worksite environments. This also offers peace of mind to busy working parents.