Reaching Out to Migrant Children

With a little support, children of migrant workers can go a long way in their education

By: STORY PICHAYA SVASTI PHOTOS YINGYONG UN-ANONGRAK

In a school storage room-turned-classroom, nearly 70 Burmese children of different ages are studying side by side, focusing on different subjects, but as one in their determination to get an education.

Burmese migrant students at the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS)’s learning centre in Ranong during a Thai language lesson.

Due to limited space and teachers, one group _ kindergarten to Grade 3 pupils and another group _ Grade 4 to 6 students _ are seated together. At noon, they share lunch and play with each other. This is what happens during every school day at Bang Klang centre _ one of six learning centres for Burmese children in Ranong supported by the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS).

''I study Thai, English, Burmese and maths here. My favourite subject is Thai language. We don't have to pay tuition fees. We get one uniform and textbooks for free each year,'' reported 13-year-old Bo, a sixth grader at Bang Klang learning centre situated on the premises of Ban Bang Klang School in the town district of Ranong.

It is one of the six centres supported by JRS, a Catholic organisation that assists refugees in over 50 countries, to give head-start education to some 800 migrant children in Ranong under the guidance of 29 Burmese and Thai teachers.

The centres are open from Monday to Friday. At each centre, Burmese teachers teach mathematics, science, English and Burmese language based on Burma's primary school curriculum while two Thai teachers teach the basics of Thai language every day.

Last year, the JRS started offering occupational training on traditional massage, cooking, dressmaking and mechanical skills. Art, music, dance and sports are also taught at the centres.

In Ranong, there are approximately 200,000 migrants and 100,000 Thais, according to provincial statistics quoted by a JRS officer. A JRS report states that most migrants in Ranong are members of Burma's Mon ethnic minority. Migrant workers usually work in the fishing industry, most of them illegally, which makes them vulnerable to exploitation and deportation.

Their children either followed them from Burma or were born here in Thailand. Most of these youngsters have to live tough lives, lacking proper care, guidance and education. They are at risk of involvement in narcotics, crime, smuggling and prostitution, which could affect the Thai community in Ranong.

Therefore, JRS reaches out to migrant workers and their families in Ranong by supporting education for migrant children and providing practical assistance for vulnerable migrant workers.

In 2002, the JRS initiated the learning centre programme after recognising the difficulties migrant children face in attending Thai schools. It helps build and maintain community-based learning centres, support teachers salaries, provide school uniforms, books and sporting gear, and grant scholarships to outstanding students to study in Thai schools.

Since 2006, the programme has added the learning of Thai language in order to prepare Burmese children to attend Thai schools. Teaching Thai language is an effort to enable the youngsters to communicate in Thai, adjust to Thai culture and choose to further their studies in Thai schools.

Lunchtime.

So far, 132 graduates from the centres in Ranong have been admitted to Thai schools and one to a Thai university.

''Without education, these youngsters might become troublemakers, such as drug addicts and the homeless. This project can more or less ease burdens for the

[Thai] government,'' said project coordinator Sister Prapatsorn Srivorakun.

Thiha Soe, chief of the JRS Bang Klang learning centre who has been teaching here for five years, said that several students are poor and physically frail. Some of them are orphans whose mothers died and fathers are jobless. The centre also helps find jobs for their parents and coordinates medical treatment for the ill.

Here at Bang Klang learning centre, the Burmese students do everything Thai students at Ban Bang Klang School do. They sing the Thai national anthem, attend classes from 9am until 3:30pm, play games and sports with Thai schoolmates and assist school activities.

It is the same story at the Pak Klong learning centre, which accommodates 200 Burmese students.

Nual, a teacher of almost seven years at this centre, said the children all like studying Thai so they help their parents with the translation, especially when they go to the hospitals.

A Prathom 4 student, Si Tanta, 12, said, ''All my teachers are kind. When we have no money, we will tell our teachers and they will help us.''

Her classmate Isa, 13, has been studying here since age 7. She is lucky enough that her fisherman father and food vendor mother want her to continue her studies.

''Many children have to work and study at the same time. Some of them have to drop out of school to help their parents' work,'' the girl said.

So far, more than 100 Burmese students from the JRS-supported centres have moved to Thai schools to further their studies. One of them is 15-year-old Thevakul Famai.Among them are Karuna Famai, Thevakul Famai and Somchai Rangsan, Prathom 2 students at Ban Bang Klang School.

''I like this school. Teachers teach very well and I have a lot of Thai friends. My teachers take good care of me. First, I could not read Thai, but they tried hard to teach me until I can.''

With a book on the Thai alphabet.

Three of them are from poor working class families, but they are happy and love their lives in the school. They cherish unity and sharing among Thai and Burmese friends.

Visit Junrungratsamee, director of Ban Bang Klang School, said the migrant and Thai children have no problems at all getting along with one another. Some even think of themselves as Thai-Burmese.

Ban Bang Klang School first allowed the JRS to use its storage room as a learning centre for migrant children in 2004. The number of students at the centre has risen from 30 to over 60.

According to Visit, the school has long admitted Burmese youngsters whose parents work in Ranong. At present, there are both Burmese and Thai students in every class here and all of them benefit from computer and English conversation courses sponsored by the JRS for the entire school. The JRS also helps Burmese students at its learning centres to further studies in Thai schools by requesting 13-digit identity numbers from Thai authorities for use in registration.

Like her friends, Bo plans to move from the learning centre to Ban Bang Klang School next year. However, she will have to restart at Prathom 1 level, which reflects a misunderstanding in Thai education circles.

Surapong Kongchantuk, vice-chairperson of the Human Rights Sub-Committee on Ethnic Minorities, State less, Migrant Workers and Displaced Persons, which is under the Lawyers' Council of Thailand's umbrella, explained that children of migrant workers have the right to attend Thai schools from kindergarten to Mathayom 6 level with no need to start over at the lowest level.

According to him, the National Education Bill, the ministerial regulation on student admissions and a 2005 cabinet resolution all guarantee children the right to schooling and to have educational certificates whether they are Thais or non-Thais. Also, the Education Ministry's regulation of February 7, 2007 allows the transfer of credits from former schools.

Nipa Laithai, 12, is one such student who benefits from that regulation. Born in Kawthaung, Burma, she came to Thailand with her father when she was only one month old. After attending a JRS learning centre, she moved to Ranong Mitraphap 60 school three years ago.

According to the JRS, its policy is to continue supporting migrant children to study in Thai mainstream schools so they can attain higher education and have better life opportunities as well as social integration. One Burmese student from Ban Bang Klang School is already studying in a Thai university.

''After completing our programme, our Burmese students will either further their studies or work. Even when they do not continue studying, they have the advantage of speaking, reading and writing Thai. At least they can work as translators at hospitals or factories,'' said teacher Mali Hakman at Ban Bang Klang School.

Nipa Laithai hopes that will not happen to her. Last year, the 12-year-old won 1st prize in Ranong's English-language speech contest and 4th prize in the regional competition.

''And my parents have promised to support my education until the university level,'' she said with high hopes.

Information for donations:

Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), PO Box 49 Sanam Pao Post Office Bangkok 10406.

Contact Sister Siriluck Suwapap, Ranong Project Director. Call 077-826262, email siriosu1@jrs.or.th or visit www.jrs.or.th.

Savings Account: Ban Bang Klang School's Government Savings Bank's Ranong branch. Account number: 08-6201-20-040477-4