FREE-SCHOOL PROJECT

PROJECT SUMMARY
May 2010

The Mirror Foundation is an organization

that produces motivated, active people.
We focus on the creation and innovation
of social development.

We focus on the creation and innovation

of social development.
 Overall operation of Free Schools
Project
(May 2009-March 2010)

SUMMARY

In summary, the project has been extremely successful. There has been a definite increase in children
attending school. Awareness has been raised among parents and within communities about the
importance of schooling and education in many villages.

Overall, three schools are now sustainable and self-sufficient without our further assistance through this
project. These include Pa Gao School, Pra Pan Aree School and Doi Pu Meun School. All of these
schools now have funding provided within the local government budget to pay for teachers’ employment.

Strategy

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The Mirror Foundation strategy within this project, has firstly been to consult with the local government about
which areas and communities we should open the Free School Project. This approach is taken as involving
the local government in the early stages of the project provides accurate information about which
communities require assistance. In addition, encouraging local ownership from the early stages of the project
increases local government participation and therefore also increases the potential that local government will
wish to support the project in the long term, therefore leading to sustainability.

SUMMARY OF PROJECT AREAS

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PROJECT AREA OVERVIEW

Bann Pra Ju The project has been in operation for two years.
In 2010 this project was successful because the
students were very interested to learn. Already
90% of them go to Huay Nam Yen school to
participate in the standard education system.
Huay Nam Yen’s director has responded very
well because the students of Free School project
had learn the basic education with us.
Some of the students feel that they are too old to
go to school, and that it is too late to start, and
do not want to be included in elementary school.

Bann Ling Pu Ton (2 teachers)
The Free School project was successful. The
parents are now aware of the importance of
education. Now about 80% of the students of
this village attend school at Hua Na and Tong
Sung School.

In 2010, both Hua Na and Tong Sung schools

received additional funding from the government
budget to extend the available student quota of
children who come from poverty-stricken
backgrounds, and who lack Thai citizenship, to
participate in standard education.

Now the children travel to Hua Na and Tong

Sung and attendance is increased at these
schools, and the number of our students in Free
School Project has reduced.
Some children feel that they are too old to
commence schooling, and they do not want to
learn. Some of the students are very poor, but
have a strong desire and intention to learn. We

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 are currently looking to raise scholarship funds
to support these students through the Mirror
Foundation Hill Tribe Scholarship Fund.

Bann Doi Pu Meun School The project was successful. Most of the children
can now complete grading tests that can mean
attendance at school in town in a higher grade,
through skipping grades etc.
Teaching resources are now sufficient for
students to study. Additionally, the school has
been provided for in the local government
budget, so that they can hire our teacher to
continue to teach. We are now co-ordinating with
the school to assist in preparation and
management of the budget.

Bann Hoy Jan Si This project operated for two months in May and
June, 2009. This project stopped after two
months due to unforeseeable circumstances.
One night at the entrance area to the village, an
individual was raped and murdered.

The teacher that we had employed was scared

to go and teach in the village.

We met with the community regarding the

situation and it was decided to stop the project
for a period of time. The community understood
and apologized to us. The community hope that
in the future, a new teacher can be found to
teach in their community.

The community are still in need of this project

because many children are interested to study.
However, the village is far away from the closest

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 school - about 5 kilometres. Therefore, many
children do not go to school.

Pa Gao School This program is successful. The project is

different to other project sites in that it operates
within a school building, rather than the village.
This was due to there being inadequate funding
for sufficient teachers. The Free School Program
paid for an additional teacher to teach on-site so
that more children could attend school. This
school is adequately equipped for teaching in
terms of buildings, teaching resources and
equipment available. This project has now
received additional funding from the local
government to pay for additional staff. This
project is now self sufficient, and as a result we
will no longer be supporting this project.

Pra Pan Aree School We have supported this school for 5 years and
have hired 3 teachers. In 2010, the school
received support from the government to hire 2
teachers, so we can now stop supporting this
project.
We discussed this situation with the school, and
they agreed with this. The school thanked us for
our past relationship with them.

Pra Kai Dao Center This project was successful. Within the next
year, the Center will have support from the local

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 government office and will be allocated funding
from the budget towards the contribution of
education. Due to this support from local
government, they will no longer require our
assistance.

Baan Huy Maung We ran this project for four months. The project
involved hiring a teacher to teach in the village.
However, the distance to the village was very far
to travel, about 25 kilomentres. As a result, the
teacher resigned. We have coordinated with the
local government education system in seeking a
new teacher. Now a new teacher has been
found that is available to teach at the village at
the night. Local government have agreed to pay
for the new teacher’s employment in this village.
Therefore this project will no longer require our
assistance.

Bann Ja Lor We intend to continue this project, as still many

children do not attend school. This is due to
parents and communities not knowing the
importance of education. Children in the village
are interested to learn but no one to take them to
school.
We intend to fund scholarships for many of the
children within the school.

Baan Huy Pa Rai We plan to continue this project, which is

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 currently facing barriers to success. These
include the fact that the learning area is too
small and is not sufficient in size to
accommodate the number of students who are
interested in learning. There is also no room for
storage of the teaching resources. This is a
problem as a group of teenagers tried to
vandalise and destroy the teaching resources
one night. There is therefore a strong need for
effective storage. There is also a lack of basic
materials such as school books, notebooks,
stationery etc.

Everyone in the village acknowledges the

importance of education, despite the distance to
travel to school. Teachers also display great
willingness to teach in this village.

In the next stages of this project, we aim to seek

out a new building to accommodate a larger
learning area as well as a effective and sufficient
storage for all teaching resources.

Other outcomes of the Free School Project

Overall, we have sought to consult and communicate with communities and encourage a grass-roots
approach to development. Principally, this has included the following activities.

Participation and communication

 We met with village leaders, village committees and villagers to help them to understand the
details of the project. The communities were overwhelmingly welcoming and optimistic towards the
project.
 Over 2 years, we have assisted in increasing coordination and communication between
community leaders and teachers. We have worked with community and village leaders to make our
teachers more comfortable to work and to participate in community activities. We have also encouraged

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creative and effective teaching and helped to reduce the conflicts between communities and
teachers. This has been and is now very effective.
 In many of the areas and communities with which we work, the communities face ongoing
problems such as lack of access to and ownership of agricultural land, lack of Thai citizenship,
employment issues, and drugs. In turn, we try to source further information from the communities and
seek to find out the solutions to these problems. In part, this sometimes includes activating other project
teams of the Mirror Foundation to become involved in the community, for example the Citizenship Team.

Community participation in the Free School Project

Construction
The following project aims have been completed:

 To build temporary classroom for children in Project Free Schools at Huay Pa Rai village and Ja
Lor village by promoting for raising fund in the network of Thai volunteer project and group of company
and volunteer from Australia.
 To build a storage room for all equipment at Ja Lor village. This project was supported by the
Mirror Foundation’s Eco-Tour and international volunteers.
 To improve certain places (e.g. the church) at Pra Ju village. The church is used as the
classroom and learning space within Pra Ju village. However, the equipment within this building is old
and damaged. This includes tables, chairs and mats. New equipment is required and the Free Schools
Project will provide this in the future.
 To liaise with students at Ram Kham Haeng University to work and build the hall at Doi Pu Muan
School in 2010.

Volunteer activities in teaching and fundraising

The following project aims have also been completed:

 Organized the Thai volunteer program in May 2009 at Doi Pu Muaen village & school; to teach
and to promote love of reading, hygiene and entertain games for the children. This program ran for3
nights and 4 days.
 Organized teaching activities in October at Ja Lor village, Huay Pu School. Children were
taught English by international volunteers, for 2 nights and 3 days.

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 Organized a study tour for children at Baan Pa Gor to go to Bang Saen, Chon Bu Ri
Province on 15th -18th October 2009, supported by the Mirror Foundation.

Donated blankets / jackets

 Donated 1,000 blankets to the villagers who participate within Free School Project. The parents
of the attending children received donations representing a range of villages, including, Ja Lor village,
Huay Pa Rai village, Ling Pu Ton village, Pa Jou village, Pa Gai Dai Center in November 2009.
 Donated 400 jackets to the children in the Free Schools program on November 2009. These
donations from generous people and sent to 8 project areas of the Free School Project.

Meetings and Training Program for Free School Teachers

 Organized meetings with the teachers to explain and raise awareness and understanding about
the operation of the Free Schools Project in May and June 2009. This meeting was organized by the
director of the Mirror Foundation: Mr. Veera Yooram & Ms. Parisudha Sudhamongkala.
 The teachers of the Free Schools Program were workshop participants at a workshop about
child psychology and best practice of care by the District Education's in Fang district on August 2009.
 The teachers of the Free School Project were participants at the Operation Meeting Program.
The meeting combined a program of teaching, working with children and child psychology in Mae Eye
district on November 2009
 The teachers of the Free Schools Project were participants in courses about working with hill
tribe communities run by the Mirror Foundation, in Chiang Rai, on March 2010.

Promotion of the Free School Project

The Free School Project has been promoted in a number of ways in the communities with which we work.

 The Free School Project was promoted in “Secret” magazine, a social responsibility magazine.
Workers at the Mirror Foundation were interviewed about the project and needs of the project were also

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promoted, such as fundraising required and donation of equipment. Feedback from this
promotion was ecxtremely positive, with subsequent large amounts of donations of books, pens, pencils,
erasers, rulers.
 The Free School Project was also promoted in the “Jud Pra Gai Dao” column of the Bangkok
Biz newspapers
 The Free School Project team were also interviewed at the radio station FM 107.5 on “The
Goodness Seed” about the details of the project.

Obstacles and Challenges of the Project

There were some obstacles and challenges within the project, these included:

 Travel and transport to reach the working area and the distance of each area was quite difficult.
Some project areas were accessible only by dirt road, and some were quite far, upto approximately 20 -
30 kilometres away (Baan Huay Pa Rai) from the Mirror Foundation. As some areas were inconvenient
and took a long time to reach, communications and discussions with the teachers were sometimes not
possible.
 Lack of cell phone signal due to remote location, and therefore could not make an appointment
with the teacher in advance and sometimes therefore did not meet.
 The teachers were seeking long term employment, but we are unable to guarantee long term
employment with the Free Schools Project, as when the project is successful, we do not provide further
assistance.
 Some teachers did not have good work ethic, and sometimes missed class without notice, or
did not pay enough attention in their teaching.
 Inadequate maintenance and taking care of the teaching resources that we provided to
teachers, and teachers spent in excess of provided funds for purchasing teaching resources..

Summary overview of project areas

From May 2010 to March 2011, we worked in ten communities.

Project Area Summary Overview Status

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Bann Ja Lor
Bann Hoy Pa Rai
Bann Doi Pa Wai, Sri Dong
Yen sub-district, Chai pa
Gan, Chiang Mai
Baan Pong Jok, Mae Ta Rok
sub-district, Chai Pra Gan,
Chiang Mai;
Baan Huay Sai, Doi Lor sub-
district, Chai Pra Gan, Chiang
Mai;
Baan Huay Nam Dib, Sri
Dong Yen sub-district, Chai
Pa Gan, Chiang Mai;
Continuing
Continuing
Has 46 children in the village. Requested commencement
Has 50 people in the village
that cannot read and speak
in Thai. They requested
opening the Free School
Project as there was no
funding provided by local
government.
Has approx. 40 children that Requested commencement
are aged under 6 years old
and approx. 13 children over
7 years old that do not yet go
to school. They requested
opening the Free School
Project as there was no
funding provided by local
government.
Has 36 children aged under 6 Requested commencement
years old and approx 16
children over 7 years old that
do not yet go to school.
About 10 people in the
village cannot read and speak
in Thai. They requested
opening the Free School
Project as there was no
funding provided by local
government.
Has approx. 28 children aged Requested commencement
under 6 years old and
approx. 14 children over 7
years old that do not yet go
to school. They requested
opening the Free School
Project as there was no
funding provided by local
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 government.

Baan Hauy Pong Pattana,

Mae Ta Rok, Chai Pa Gan,
Chiang Mai;
Has 16 children aged under 6 Requested commencement
years and approx 16 children
aged over 7 years old; and
approx. 7 children over 12
years old that do not yet go
to school. About 20 people in
the village cannot read and
speak in Thai. They
requested opening the Free
School Project as there was
no funding provided by local
government.

Future Opportunities

 Ex Zen Ces Company Limited have indicated that they will provide scholarships to students of
the Free School Project, in a lump sum amount of 20,000 Baht for education started as of May 2010.

 The project is also in the process of liasing with and surveying an additional three communities.

Projected Budget for Free School Project in 2010

Teacher Salary for 10 schools, 10 teachers = 42,000B

School Equipment = 5,000 B

Coordination (petrol, car, accommodation from Chiang Rai = 10,000 B

to Fang two times per month)

Project Coordinator = 6,000 B

Hill Tribe Children Fund = 6,000 B

PROJECTED TOTAL per Month 69,000B

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PHOTO GALLERY

Lunch at Pa Gor School.

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Children play with toys donated at
Pa Gor School

Donated jacket at Bann Par Gor

School

Director with children with

donations at Doi Pu Meun School

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Teacher and children at Doi Pu
Meun School

Activities at Bann Pra Pan Aree

School

Activities at Pra Pan Aree

School

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Activities at Pra Pan Aree
School

Activities at Pra Gai Dao

Centre

Activities at Pra Gai Dao

Centre

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Children drinking milk
donated by the government

at the Pra Gai Dao Centre.

This program commenced

in October 2009 until May

2010

Activites at Ja Lor Village

Temporary classroom at Ja
Lor Village.

This classroom currently

needs improvement.

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Activities at Ja Lor Village.

Activities at Huay Pa Rai

Village.

Temporary classroom at
Huay Pa Rai Village.

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Kids at the village.

Activities at Bann Pu Ling

Ton Village.

Activities at Baan Pu Ling

Ton Village.

In the past, attendance at

these classes was greater
in

Number, however as
students are now attending
school,

Class sizes reduced

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significantly, showing that
the project

Was successful.

Children studying, who

have received scholarships
from

the Mirror FOundation.

Activities at Bann Pa Ju
Village.

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Activities at Bann Pa Ju
Village.

Temporary classroom at
Bann Pra Ju Village.

Child at Baan Pra Ju

Village.

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Child at Huay Pa Rai Village

Children at Bann Ling Pu

Ton Village.

Children at Bann Ja Lor

Village.

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 Child at Doi Pu Meun
Village.

Thank you for your support and

partnership, on behalf of all the students
and communities.

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