Education for poor kids in Bangkok’s slums

Posted by admin on November 30th, 2007 filed in Bangkokians, Culture shock, Politics, Teaching

The part of the Thai capital that is known as Klong Toey represents the city’s “nicer” slums, compared to similar areas in the main cities of other nations. Father Joseph Maier tries to support the poor community as hard as he can and by now has worked in Bangkok for two decenniums. It was in the ‘better’ slum where I visited him. The slum was a chaotic network of wooden walkways and huts constructed on stilts over land filled with huge amounts of garbage. A tiny kindergarten was positioned in the squalor’s core. That certain day more than 90 kids showed up to attend the lessons in the single classroom.

Kids in the slum

This kindergarten was just one of the 30, which are all operated by the Human Development Centre. Around 3,750 kids make use of the educational facility. The country’s public education first grade is free. Parents only have to pay for books, uniforms and school activities. However, these expenses are often not affordable by needy families. Joseph, who is also the director of the centre explains: “Bangkok has plenty of Catholic schools but unfortunately they are all incredibly elitist and only offer education for the rich children”. The centre provides the only available Catholic elementary school in the capital, which allows poor kids. The school won’t take children from wealthy parents.

Around 600 students go to the Sammakhee Songkraw (which means “helping each other”) school. The school is positioned in the slum’s Catholic section, nearby the pig slaughterhouse. Officially the kindergartens are illegal as they’re located on land, not permitted to build on. Maier said: “You conclude this school exists because this door up here but the harsh reality is that the school does not exist”. “For an existing construction you need this silly document down at the official district office that declares it exists. However, we do not have any of such documents at the district office”. “This means that if the schools don’t exist, we do not have to ask for permission”.

If this unique way of reasoning does not function, Joseph Maier has several times shouted it out, threatening similar pieces of embarrassment and guilt for the authorities. “When the officials come, we tell them: “Now listen, this school is not owned by the community leaders or Fr Joe, it is the kids’ property. So you go say to them, Mr. Law man and Mr. Government official, with your impressing, neat uniform and all these individuals around you carrying these bloody big guns. Today we have 200 children at this school, sir, so what I would suggest you to do, is to explain the 200 kids that the school is no longer accessible after tomorrow. Just tell them the school will be demolished to make space for glitzy apartments for wealthy folks to live in or for another new Big C warehouse.

“We will have to install a few tape recorders here, so we can play your statement over and over for the poor students who are ill today. And for some of their hard-working mamas who aren’t present. And did you notice the huge loudspeakers up there? And then the Thai Rat, the Nation, the Bangkok Post and all the other newspapers, you have to tell it to their journalists too, to make clear why it is much more important to construct your building here”. So far Mr. Maier’s clever tactics worked and the officials not cause major difficulties. I hope this noble man can continue doing his highly important job for many more years to come. You can read more comprehensive articles about Bangkok on this website.