Mother Tongue-based Literacy Programmes: Case Studies of Good ...

Selection of Project SitesFrom the outset, ONFEC realized that, in order to produce statistically valid results that would test theeffectiveness of bilingual education in the Thai situation, special attention would need to be given tothe selection of pilot project sites. Key factors in site selection thus included:••••Monolingual setting, with little opportunity for villagers to speak ThaiCommunity supportAvailability of Pwo Karen teachersPresence of an established Community Learning Centre (CLC) 4Nong Ung Tai was seen as an ideal site, given the relatively large size of the village (population 298,including 98 school-aged children), as well as the support of the village headman and other communitymembers. During the rainy season (June-October), Nong Ung Tai is virtually cut off from the wider world,accessible only by a day-long hike through thick mud. The villagers are primarily animistic in outlook,and many cultural practices are still intact. A simple bamboo CLC was built by villagers in 1993 andreplaced in 2001 by a wooden structure provided through the financial support of Her Royal HighnessPrincess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.Two smaller villages also were selected: Huay Kwan(population 185, including 52 school-aged children)and Salatey (population 223, including 90 schoolagedchildren). 5 Like Nong Ung Tai, these villagesoffered remote locations, monolingual settings, CLCs,and community support. They were also relativelyclose to Nong Ung Tai, something that would simplifythe logistics of teacher training and curriculumdevelopment.The CLCs in these villages are essentially one-roomschoolhouses, used for both children and (lessfrequently) adults. The students are divided into fivegroups that are based primarily on age, but also ability.These are: preschool, Grade 1, grades 2-4, Grade 5, andGrade 6.© ONFECTeachers / FacilitatorsAs mentioned above, the availability of Northern Pwo Karen teachers was a key facet of the pilot projectsite selection. Northern Pwo Karen teachers already working in the non-formal system were identifiedand subsequently trained as bilingual teachers and future trainers of teachers through pre-service andin-service workshops. Thai teachers already working in the non-formal system were also identified, andreceived the same training as the Northern Pwo Karen teachers. Each CLC thus has one Thai and oneNorthern Pwo Karen teacher. Specific learning activities are assigned to each teacher, depending onwhich language is to be used.4 Although CLCs are more frequently associated with adult education, in remote areas of Thailand they also provideservices to children without access to formal system schools.5 The project in Salatey was later discontinued due to teacher attrition.[ 149 ]