top of page
EDUCATION
We aim to improve the quality of life of children in Mae Sot & Phop Phra by providing quality education and access to further opportunities.
There are estimates that half of the school-aged children population--nearly 25,000 children in Mae Sot--have no access to any kind of schooling and are in danger of child labour, human trafficking and abuses. Operating since 2005, SAW School is one of 79 Migrant Learning Centers that provide primary and secondary education to children living in migrant communities along the Thai-Myanmar border. Both Thai and Burmese children residing in SAW Shelters attend classes at SAW School through Formal and Non-Formal Education programs.
SAW SCHOOL
SAW School
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Burmese nationals living at SAW’s shelters attend SAW School and are educated according to curriculum from Myanmar. For the 2019-2020 academic year, grades 8, 9, and 10 were offered at SAW School. At the end of the year, Grade 10 students sit for matriculation exams in Myanmar, and upon successful completion, can look towards higher education options.
Thai Nationals living at SAW’s Safe House attend Thai public schools during the day, yet SAW School still plays a role in their education. Using Myanmar’s Non-Formal Education curriculum, these students attend Burmese language class at night so as to keep in touch with their language and cultural heritage.
PURE FUTURES PROGRAM
We promote creativity and an interest in the arts among our students at SAW. Currently, interested students participate in weekly classes taught by local artists, and create art, paint postcards, and collect recycled materials to make art.
A PATH TO HIGHER EDUCATION
GED
GED PROGRAM
-
Between 2014 and 2017, 16 of our students passed the GED examinations
-
22 youth from SAW Shelters are attending university: 10 in Myanmar, 9 in Thailand, and 3 in other countries
In order to attend international universities, or to apply for international programs at Thai universities, graduated students enter SAW’s GED Program to prepare for the GED High School Equivalency exam. This test, administered in English, covers Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies subjects. We host classes to prepare for these subjects and we help students pay for exam and college application fees.
Challenges
CHALLENGES
SAW School has faced severe funding cuts in recent years. We were once able to provide primary and secondary education to over 200 students; however, loss of funding has resulted in the closure of primary classes (Grades 1-6) and the halving of teaching staff at SAW. SAW School is now located on the same land as the rest of SAW’s children’s shelters, so rent and other associated costs have been lowered. Nevertheless, the biggest challenge is paying the salaries of teachers at SAW, who work tirelessly, underpaid, and without certainty of their salary incoming months, to provide a quality education to a vulnerable population of migrant children.
bottom of page