The structure of education in Thailand, as in Russia, consists of preschool, secondary, vocational and higher education. The country, famous for its resorts, hot climate and distinctive culture, is home to many visitors from all over the world, and their children, along with local children, attend kindergartens, study in schools and enter universities.
It is worth bearing in mind, however, that any educational institution for foreigners is paid.
If we try to characterize the education system in Thailand in one word, it will be the word diversity. Let's try to figure out the typology and the main features. Let's start with schools, since they are the axis of the entire structure and cover children from the age of 3 to the age of 18.
Types of schools in Thailand
Schooling in Thailand lasts 12 years. Children enter the first grade from the age of 6, but education begins much earlier. Since the age of 3, children have been taught Thai and English, numeracy, reading, writing, and even computer skills in a playful way in kindergarten at school. Visiting the garden is optional, but desirable.
The period from 1st to 6th grade is elementary school (Pratom). Upon completion, an exam is taken, and the child is given a diploma. Next, from year 7 to year 12, there is a secondary school (Mattaiom). After studying for 3 years and passing the national exam (O-NET), the student receives a Mataiom 3 certificate, but for further admission to the university it is necessary to complete 3 more classes and have a Mataiom 6 certificate.
Most of the children in the country study in Thai public schools, as well as numerous private ones accredited by the national educational program. There are two types of such schools: with teaching mainly in Thai and with teaching in two languages, English and Thai. The cost of education in a school of the first type is from $1600-2000 per year, the second type is about 1.5-2 times more.
The most expensive, by far, are international schools - from $6,000-10,000 to $30,000-40,000 per year. However, the advantages of these educational institutions are obvious – children receive secondary education according to the British or American program and, subject to successful completion of the exam, they will be able to enter, among other things, the best universities in the world. Some of these schools can boast of a large territory, rich equipment, good teaching staff and a big name. Examples include British International School, Phuket (BISP), International School Bangkok (ISB), Rugby School Thailand, Headstart in Phuket.
There are also Russian educational institutions in Thailand. There is a Diplomat school in Pattaya (about $7000 per year). It is not accredited according to the Russian educational standard, although it is guided by it when compiling the program. The only institution that works with accreditation is the school at the Embassy in Bangkok. You can study remotely there, but you will have to come to the exams.
Thus, the choice of school depends on the family's plans, and on the further learning strategy, and of course, on the budget. The children of the family are sent to the Russian school, which are aimed at a quick return. For early assimilation in the Kingdom, the best option is Thai, and for the embodiment of European or other ambitions, international.
Features of schools in Thailand
September 1st – in the middle of May. The academic year in Thai schools is divided into 3 trimesters. The beginning is in May, and the end is at the end of March - April. Such a calendar is related to the climatic features of the country. In international schools, the schedule is different, more familiar to us, – the first trimester starts there from the end of August.
Every day begins with a school-wide "ruler", on which the country's flag is raised, students and teachers sing the anthem, sing Buddhist mantras, one of the teachers speaks. After this ceremony, the children and their mentors will proceed to classes. As a rule, classes last from 8:00-8:30 to 15:30-16:00. The duration of the lesson is 40 minutes. Small changes last 10-15 minutes, and the big one lasts an hour and a half. The school has a variety of clubs for swimming, taekwondo, dancing, as well as music, language, and art. The child can visit them for free or for an additional fee.
School life is full of activities. There are many creative contests and sports competitions between students of one or more schools. One example of such physical education holidays is Sports Day. The guys are divided into teams based on the color of their T-shirts and compete.
In Thai schools, great emphasis is placed on national culture and religion. There is less emphasis on this in international relations, but it is also present. Thais are extremely sensitive to everything related to their country, and foreigners should know and understand the life and traditions of the Kingdom.
The range of subjects that are studied in Thai schools is somewhat different from the usual in post-Soviet countries. For example, disciplines such as biology, physics, and chemistry are combined into one – science. Children thoroughly study the history of Thailand, and do not touch world history at all. But in some educational institutions, mathematics is available in two versions: mathematics in English and mathematics in Thai, and both disciplines are mandatory.
Of course, children do not study Russian language and literature, as well as the history of the Russian state, in Thai schools. To fill this gap, many parents follow the path of additional distance learning. You can take a ready-made course at a strong online school such as Foxford, or contact tutors.
Another fundamental difference from schools with the Soviet tradition of teaching is a soft attitude towards students. Children feel free, they are not afraid to answer at the blackboard, there is no pressure of grades or condemnation for a mistake. There is very little homework. There are many advantages to this approach, but there is also a catch. For example, if a child did not understand something or missed it in class, he has no obligation to work out this material at home. If you do not track it, you may accumulate a backlog from the program. In general, to understand Thai schools, you need to feel well the mentality of the inhabitants of this country and the philosophy of Buddhism. Thais believe that in any business, including learning, the main thing is ease, joy, beauty, and the pleasure of communication. Knowledge is not in the first place.
Hand on heart, we can say that national schools are still too weak to prepare for further admission to universities, while international schools teach in English and do not allow assimilation into the Thai environment. For this reason, many parents choose the following tactics: a child goes to a Thai school until 4th-5th grade, studying both languages there, and then goes to an international school, where he continues his education at a higher level.
Both national and international schools in Thailand require uniforms. The student needs 3 sets: sports, casual and scout. Each set costs approximately $80. In public educational institutions, the uniform consists of dark blue shorts for boys, skirts for girls and a jacket of the same color, on which the coat of arms of the school should be embroidered, as well as the first and last name of the child. It is not difficult to buy the necessary clothes in special stores, and embroidery is done in sewing departments in shopping malls.
The student form in Thailand is taken very seriously. Everything, including the color of children's socks, is regulated and requires a careful approach from parents. Another point is that schoolchildren are forbidden to do makeup, tattoos, dye their hair, and wear jewelry.
Every school in Thailand organizes a transfer for students from home to school and back. It is very convenient and costs about $150-200 per month.
In Pattaya, it is absolutely not necessary to look for housing, focusing on the school. As a rule, people choose a condominium that suits them according to other parameters, and start looking for a school. In this case, the journey to the place of study by private transport or by a nice school bus will take no more than half an hour. In Phuket, it is worth thinking about the distance of the school from the place of residence in advance, since the island is quite large.
Thai schools are well guarded. Even for parents, it is problematic to get into the territory. For example, to pick up a child from lessons ahead of schedule, you will need written consent from the teacher.
Another onean important detail. A teacher in Thailand is a reputable and highly paid profession. Teachers' salaries start at $1,000, and in international schools from $2,000-3,000. Teachers treat their work as a vocation and strive to match.
Mentors are not required to achieve discipline by strict methods, because respect for the teacher is in the blood of Thai children. That is why freedom in the classroom, which was never dreamed of by Russian schoolchildren, does not turn into anarchy and disobedience.
A school with state accreditation is an opportunity to get a long-term Thai visa for the whole family. In general, children under the age of 12 in this country do not need a visa, but they need it to study. As a rule, the registration of all documents is handled by the educational institution itself. You only need to provide copies of the passports of all family members and the birth certificate of your son or daughter. The child is granted a student visa for a year, and the parents are granted a guardian visa (first for 3 months, and then, after confirming that the applicant's account in a Thai bank has an amount of 500,000 baht, about $14,000, it is extended to a year).
Additional expenses will be needed. In addition to paying directly for tuition at a Thai or international school, an annual non-refundable fee and a refundable deposit will be required. The size of both depends on the level of the institution - from $500 to $1,500. As a rule, the cost of textbooks and meals in the school cafeteria are included in the total cost. Uniforms, transfers and some mugs are charged separately.
Schools help children who do not know English or Thai well to adapt. International schools are still "on shore" conducting tests to determine the level of English proficiency. If it is insufficient, the child is assigned to a special group and they work with him according to a proven method with a guaranteed result. As a rule, after 3 months the student can already communicate with classmates and teachers tolerably, and after six months or a year he fully adapts to the language environment.
The younger the child, the easier it is for him to go through the path of adaptation. If a girl or boy enters a Thai kindergarten first, then the transition to school will be painless. Such children, as a rule, master Thai perfectly and often know it better than their parents. At an older age, it is problematic to enter a national school without knowing Thai.
The grading system in Thai schools is different. In some cases, the number of percentages out of a hundred possible ones that the child scored in each of the subjects and in general is set. Other schools use a 4-point system. This is an analogue of the Russian one, taking into account that the unit is not actually set in schools of the Russian Federation.
Kindergartens in Thailand
As we have already mentioned, there are kindergartens at schools that are part of a multi-stage school education. They are open at both Thai and international educational institutions. They are taught in Thai and English and cost a little less than in elementary or middle grades of the same school.
Is there an alternative to these gardens? Yes, ordinary private kindergartens. They are often open to children of a certain national group, but other kids can also walk in them. There are quite a few Russian gardens. In Pattaya, it's Happy Kids, «Semitsvetik», «Rainbow», «Lukomorye». Such child care centers are usually located in a large rented villa with a swimming pool. Children from 1.5 years old are accepted, there is usually no clear division by age group.
In addition to Russian, you can choose a private Chinese, Thai, Filipino, French kindergarten. There are English-speaking educators everywhere.
Kindergartens that are not linked to the school usually have a flexible system of attendance and payment. For example, you can leave your child only until lunch or only on certain days of the week and pay based on an individual schedule. This is a plus to the fact that private schools are in principle cheaper than kindergartens at school from $250 per month.
Such children's institutions are suitable, for example, for families who come to Thailand for the season.
Summary
The quality of school education is not an obstacle to moving to Thailand. There are a lot of offers from educational institutions, and you can choose what suits a particular family, adding missing links if necessary due to the distance format. At a minimum, the child will gain excellent knowledge of English and experience communicating in an international environment.
In the last few years, Thailand has been gaining popularity as a place for higher education. The universities here are diverse. Some of them train specialists in areas that are not available at Russian universities. Many foreign graduates of Thai schools continue their studies here in Bangkok. Those who graduate from school in Russia or other countries can also enroll in a higher education institution in Thailand.
Thank you for your help in preparing the material:
Natalia Novikova, sales manager of the company "Gallery of real estate in Pattaya and Phuket"
Anna Baranova, sales manager of the companyLETO Real Estate
