Hole Studies

 

City, Country: Pattaya, Thailand School: Pattaya City 8 [Public School] Pattaya City 8 is a public school located in the heart of Pattaya, Thailand [directly next to “Walking Street”].  I have seen private schools and public schools in Thailand, and I must say that the public schools are not inferior to the private schools at all.  Take a look at what amazing things I saw while I was visiting Pattaya City 8!

Facilities:  A cute and cozy library with bean bag chairs for reading, a modern computer room, and a big wide open gymnasium.

   

Fun Classes:  I walked into a classroom that was part of the primary school area… Here, I saw a little cooking class!  The students were taking a break from cooking and already eating lunch, but I saw tiny little aprons, tiny little kitchen utensils hanging around the room, and tiny little cooking pots in the front of the classroom.  It was so precious and I wish I saw the actual cooking lesson!
 



Lunch Card: There is an option for a lunch card that the parents/students can buy.  The lunch card is about 40 Baht but gives the student a discounted lunch.  Everyday, the school gives the certain students a blue [or sometimes bright pink] lunch card.  This card is like money in the school cafeteria and worth exactly 13 Baht.  If a student wants a lunch that is 15 Baht, then all they have to pay is 2 Baht more.  If the student wants a more expensive meal like a 25 Baht lunch, then the student uses the lunch card that is worth 13 Baht plus an extra 12 Baht. Note: 30 Baht is US$1

Chores: Each class has a chore to do to keep the school clean and a nice place to be.  Some classes are in charge of picking up trash on the stairs and sidewalk, while other classes are in charge of gardening, for example.  I love this idea and also saw this being done in Fiji.  Read more about the school in Fiji that I visited and saw this same “chore” system!
  

7-8 Store: There is a store right on the school grounds called “7-8”.  It’s supposed to be like a 7-Eleven, but only open for an hour from 7AM to 8AM.  It’s a store that is run by the students that has school supplies and such.  This store is to help students understand how jobs in the “real world” work, the value of money, and the responsibility of getting to work on time; and at the same time, giving the students a place to purchase pencils and other school supplies that they might have forgotten at home instead of going to class unprepared.


   
Rotating Schedule: The schedule for each day, Monday through Friday, is different every day.  Let’s say I’m a student atPattayaCity 8… I might have math class on Monday at 10:30 in the morning, no math class on Tuesday or Wednesday, math class at 14:30 [2:30PM] on Thursday, and then math class at 8:30 on Friday.  This is such a great idea so that students will not get [as] bored as if they had the same schedule day after day after day.
 

Teachers Move: The teachers move from classroom to classroom and the students stay in the same room for their core classes… so students stay in their seats in the same class while their history teacher joins them for one hour, then their math teacher joins them for the next hour, etc etc… Students aren’t in the same room all day, however, because they need to be in a different classroom for science [due to the equipment], for physical education, and for other such classes.  Having it so that students are in one classroom for their core classes cuts down on lost instructional time due to factors such as students lost their pencils in the hallway, talking, students aren’t in the correct seat [if in a seat at all], horse play, etc.

Uniforms.
  

   
Grading Philosophy: a student’s grade is not just about the content learned, but also about the responsibility and time management it takes in preparing oneself for school and assessments.  Read about Thailand’s grading philosophy and how it is implemented HERE!