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Pattaya officials stall on offer to upgrade training for city teachers
Mechai Viravaidya (center
left) listens as Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome (center) gives his views on the
Mechai Viravaidya Foundation proposal.
Thanachot Anuwan
Pattaya officials reacted coolly to an invitation from the Mechai
Viravaidya Foundation to bring city teachers up to international standards.
The private Mechai Viravaidya Foundation last year launched an 18-month
campaign to train 546 educators in 16 provinces in seven international
disciplines. With its large international base, Pattaya was a natural choice
to join the program, foundation President Mechai Viravaidya said.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome said he was open to the idea; however, noted an
experimental curriculum focusing on teaching English, Chinese and Russian
has already been instituted at Pattaya School No. 11 and that Pattaya’s
participation in his program will need to be discussed further in future
meetings.
In his presentation to the mayor and 20 teachers and students, Mechai noted
that national standardized testing scores for sixth-grade students continue
to fall. But students at Mechai Pattana School build upon the traditional
Thai curriculum by promoting environmental protection, education, poverty
eradication, philanthropy, integrity, democracy and gender equality.
Backed by Themasek Foundation of Singapore, Toshiba Thailand, Microsoft
Thailand and other sponsors, the school also trains teachers. The school’s
website says it functions as a base for “21st century teacher training”
encouraging teachers to foster a child’s creativity and imagination, as
opposed to teaching by rote memorization.
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No. 11 & Nernplabwan schools win band competition
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh (center) opens the
competition along with Lions members and Central Festival Pattaya Beach
management.
Vittaya Yoondorn
Pattaya School No. 11 and Nernplabwan School took top honors at the fourth
Pattaya Band Competition.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh opened the Jan. 24 contest at Central Festival
Pattaya Beach, with Porchanon Khanachotipgokin, president of the sponsoring
Lions Club of Pattaya-Taksin, and Lions Region 310 C former Gov. Banjong
Banthoonprayuk.
Ten schools participated in the competition, with junior- and senior-level
prizes awarded for performances of two royal anthems and a song written just for
the contest.
Nernplabwan School won the
Mayor’s Cup in the Junior Mattayom category.
Dressed in white, the 50-piece School No. 11’s band, which
also comprised members of the Pattaya School No. 4 musicians, opened their
performance with a solo on saxophone with band manager Phakapanth Weerasingh
conducting.
School No. 11 took the Mayor’s Cup and a 20,000 baht cash purse, besting out the
squad from Photisampan Pittayakarn School decked out in orange and black.
Pattaya School No. 2 finished third.
In the Junior Mattayom category, Nernplabwan School won the Mayor’s Cup and
15,000 baht cash. Pattaya School No. 5 placed second and School No. 8 won third.
Once the music stopped, the Lions president closed the event and blessed the
participants to honor HM the King.
Pattaya School No. 11 joined
forces with Pattaya School No. 4 to win the senior Mattayom category.
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Pattaya donates funds for To Be No. 1 dance teams
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and
Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon present funds for this weekend’s To Be
Number One competition in Bangkok to Aaphorn Rajsingho, director of Pattaya
School No. 8.
Warunya Thongrod
Pattaya officials are helping fund coaching and expenses for three area
schools participating in this weekend’s To Be No. 1 national dance
championships.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and Deputy Mayor Wattana Chantanawaranon presented
funds to Pattaya School No. 8 Principal Aaphorn Rajsingho Jan. 25. Donations
also were made earlier to support coaching at Pattaya School No. 3 and
Photisampan School. All three schools compete Feb. 9-10 in Bangkok.
The V-Star dance team from School No. 8 won one of two qualifying spots in the
Nov. 4 pre-teen competition at Central Festival Pattaya Beach, while the Hit Me
Dance Crew from Chonburi won in the 6-9 year-old age bracket.
“Pattaya realizes the importance of the To Be No. 1 program
against drug use by youths, a project for which I have always offered my
support,” Itthiphol said. “Pattaya youths have always won from this competition
every year. I take this opportunity to bless and wish the children good luck.
Whichever award they receive, they have made the city proud.”
The winner of each category of the To Be Number One competition will win a 2
million baht scholarship and trophy from HRH Princess Ubolratana.
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100 enter drug rehab in Sattahip
Youths convicted of drug use
prepare to enter a 10-day “behavior modification camp” run by the Royal Thai
Navy aimed at rehabilitating them.
Patcharapol Panrak
A hundred Sattahip youths escaped jail sentences for drug charges when
they agreed to enter a 10-day “behavior modification camp” run by the Royal Thai
Navy aimed at rehabilitating them.
Chonburi Deputy Gov. Adisak Thepass presided over the opening of the program
Jan. 30 at the National Command Center for Drugs offices in Sattahip. Adisak
said the drug problem continues to increase in severity. Therefore, he said,
measures to prevent and solve problems have been implemented.
Program administrators said they work with youths to kick drugs and adopt
socially responsible behavior. However, the admitted, results of such a short
program are not guaranteed.
If the patients are arrested again, however, they will be placed in a youth
detention center.
Pattaya, S. Korean students
enjoy cultural exchange
Students from Korea’s Pyeoung Taek Church perform
for the students at Pattaya School No. 7.
Warunya Thongrod
Hoping to create friendship and cultural exchange through music and dance, a
South Korean church group brought 58 university students to Pattaya to show off
traditional dress and performances.
The Y.W.C.A. Bangkok-Pattaya Center organized the Jan. 28 cultural show at
Pattaya School No. 7, with help of the Christians for Sports Foundation run by
Pyeoung Taek Church.
Y.W.C.A. Chairwoman Praichit Jetpai and School No. 7 Principal Manus
Khongwattana introduced the Korean students to 200 of their Thai counterparts
from grades 4-6.
Having fun hanging with the big boys.
The Korean group, which has run cultural-exchange programs for four years,
brought 50 university students to eight Eastern Seaboard schools from Jan.
22-30.
The children talked, with translators helping increase cross-cultural
understanding. Activities also included a “silent language drama,” musical
performances, long drum show by students from Pattaya School No. 6, and Thai
traditional dance.
After the shows, students and teachers from School No. 7 presented the guests
roses made from pandan leaves.
The Christians for Sports Foundation is a foundation supporting youths in
football. Currently, there are more than 80 youths under the foundation’s
tutelage, training them to become professional football players to compete in
national-level games.
The girls have just as much fun playing with the
older girls from Korea.
Praichit Jetpai (2nd right), Chairwoman of the
Y.W.C.A Bangkok-Pattaya Center, School No. 7 Principal Manus Khongwattana (2nd
left), along with Bernie Tuppin (right) from Jesters Care for Kids and members
of the Y.W.C.A. enjoy the show.
Girls from Pattaya School No. 7 give a traditional
Thai boxing dance demonstration to the beat of boys playing the long drums.
Children from Pattaya School No. 7 impress the
volunteers from Korea with their Ram See Nuan performance.
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Magnificent Mangroves
GIS students help plant some new
mangrove trees to help the environment.
Aastha (Year 4EH)
Year 4 students from Garden International School (GIS) are learning about
‘Taking care of the Environment’. To find out more about this they went to the
beach and saw some mangroves in Sattahip.
Mangroves are important for our lives because they keep us safe from hurricanes,
storms and floods. They also make a good habitat for sea creatures. The
mangroves’ roots are the most important thing as they help them stand so they
can push the water away. Did you know that mangroves are the only tree which can
live in salty water?
GIS students visit the mangrove
trees in Sattahip.
Mangroves have many kinds of trees - some are good for
health, some can help us make houses.
We planted some mangrove seeds during our visit and then went to the beach to do
a beach clean. We saw so many ropes and a lot of plastic. I went in the sea and
saw a rock. I turned it over and it looked like it had crystals on, it was
amazing! I learnt two main things from this trip - never cut down mangrove trees
because they protect us and do not litter the beach because fish die and we will
not get fish to eat!
GIS is based in Ban Chang, near Pattaya. For more, visit
www.gardenrayong.com.
Students from GIS help to water
the newly-planted mangroves.
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