REPORT► School: General Information and Academic Administration

4th day in Chiang Mai, Thailand. It was 6th of August 2019. My receiving university's coordinator, Ms. Arry took me to the school where I would be doing the SeaTeacher program. The name of the school is Suksasongkhro Chiang Mai (SSCM) School. It is located about 7 kilometers away from Chiang Mai Rajabhat University (CMRU). It took about 15 minutes to get to the school by university's van.

We arrived in SSCM School and we were welcomed by the teachers. I was directed to a place where everyone was gathered. All students, teachers, and even student teachers were there. My friend and I were asked to introduce ourselves in front of everyone, and so we did. I felt so honored, but I was not prepared.

I spent the rest of the day visiting all areas of the school and here are some information related to the school that I gathered:

 1.1 School Profile 

Suksasongkhro Chiang Mai School is a school for children with difficult backgrounds; either they are financially incapable, from abusive homes or hill tribe and migrant families. The school believes that education is the best way to reduce people’s inequality, they try their best for students to gain best potential in both theoretical and practical knowledge. After graduation, each student is expected to have a viable pathway such as internships or work for their better future.

This school is a boarding school which aims to create its own family environment since so many of the students don’t have solid families. One of the teachers, said, “We live together as a family, even we have different races, cultures, and beliefs, but we still live together happily.”

They bring children from different societies, cultures, beliefs together and teach them how to live with each other, how to accept these differences. Not only that, they also teach children to value local assets like tradition which is a way to maintain the prosperity of culture.

 1.2 Academic Support System 

SSCM School is a boarding school that aims to help children in need and those who have difficulties. The school is completely tuition-free and funded by the government. They provide the students with dormitories, books, food, uniforms and everything that they need.

 1.3 Teaching System 

The teaching in SSCM School is done by teachers and aided by the student teachers. Student teachers are students of education faculty who are undergoing teaching practices in schools during their 5th year of study. SSCM School uses learner-centered / student-centered method of teaching. This method aims the students to be active and confident during the learning process.

 1.4 Materials and Other Learning Sources 

The teachers teach the students based on the current curriculum, and the materials given are based on the books that were provided by the ministry of education or the government. Some teachers also integrate the material from the book with other resources to enrich the students' knowledge.

 1.5 Measurement and Evaluation System 

The school measures and evaluates both the students and the learning outcome through tests and observation. There are four tests per academic year, or two tests for each semester administered by the school, apart from the daily test and worksheet. The tests are conducted on the middle of the semester (mid-test), and by the end of the semester (final-test).

 1.6  Curriculum 

The school's current education system stems from the reforms set by the 1999 National Education Act which implemented new organisational structures, promoted the decentralization of administration and called for innovative learner-centered teaching practices. The Thai education system provides 9 years of compulsory education, with 12 years of free basic education guaranteed by the Constitution. SSCM School itself provides 12 levels of school starting from Primary Education or "Prathom" (Grade 1-6) up to Lower and Upper Secondary Education or "Mattayom" (Grade 7-12).

 1.7 Teaching Plan (of English) 

SSCM School teachers develop their teaching plan by taking the learning standard and indicators from The Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008) provided by The Ministry of Education. Each teaching plan will adapt at least one of the learning standards. Then, it will be developed into objectives, and these objectives will be gained through the learning process which is broken down into several steps that is also called as "Procedure". After the learning process is done. The teacher will evaluate the problems that happened during the learning. Below is the example!

Ms. Orradee Seelakun's teaching plan