Learning English is so important to the future of our Kwah Dao students. English speaking is fundamental to their pursuit of education, future careers, and their inclusion within society.
Education
All over the world, higher education programs are written in and taught by using English. Many universities will require the students to sit and pass an IELTS exam or the equivalent: a test that tests the student’s ability to demonstrate a certain level of English.
International schools and English Programmes are highly desirable to parents choosing where their child’s education will take place in Thailand. However, these schools often come with a price tag. A price tag that will severely out-price the parents of underprivileged or stateless children.
The English classes available at government schools have much bigger classes. (A class of 50 students at a time is not unusual.) And with less funding available to their English department, they often find themselves understaffed or with underqualified and short-term teachers.
At Kwah Dao, our students get 2 extra days of schooling during the weekend for free. We provide them with English classes and extra-curricular activities.
Many of our students are from stateless Burmese migrant families, which means their opportunities can be limited, and they can be marginalized and discriminated against within their community.
Students may even be able to enroll in our scholarship program and reach a higher level of education that otherwise may have been closed off to them.
Our students work really hard in the face of adversity, and if we had it our way we’d be able to fund all the students’ whose dream it is to gain a degree and build a better life for themselves and their families.
Careers
English is the international language of diplomacy, business, science, technology, banking, computing, medicine, aviation, UN & NATO armed forces, engineering, tourism…
We live in a connected, global economy, with many companies using English as their main language.
After Mandarin, English is spoken by more people than any other language. It’s no surprise, then, that many more doors will open for those who can speak and understand English than for those who can’t.
Due to the limitations of life without citizenship, our student’s future careers may still be limited despite being speakers of English.
Stateless people have nowhere to go. They can’t legally travel to any country, or live in any country.
However, English speaking remains a necessary step towards positive change. With the world’s attitude towards statelessness slowly improving, having the ability to speak English will give our students an advantage in the future.
Travel and Tourism
1 in 5 people can speak or understand English. It’s the official language of 53 countries. English is the language used by many countries when people cannot communicate using their native tongue.
The level of tourism in Thailand is continuously increasing, year after year. It’s a popular stop-off for backpackers and is becoming increasingly popular for family holidays and couples’ getaways.
Our students in particular live close to a popular town for tourists called Pai, Thailand.
Speaking and understanding English means that they can communicate with tourists and may even aspire to run a local business.
Foreign tourists statistically spend more than local tourists and are known to spend longer periods of time in one place.
Foreign tourists are key contributors to the industry, so being able to speak a common language is essential to the running of a successful, local, tourism business, such as a food stall, restaurant, souvenir store, tour company, rental shop, etc.
Inclusion
English is the language of the internet and the media. A basic understanding of English opens doors to further, independent study online using free resources and software.
Reading articles and watching YouTube videos can become useful tools for learning English. A basic understanding of English within schooling will improve how a person interacts and benefits from such tools.
English is the universal language used in movies, books, magazines, songs, and online articles. In order to be a part of the global community, and to participate in the conversations that result, an understanding of English is necessary for inclusion.
Inclusion is important in so many ways for our underprivileged and stateless students, where marginalization occurs in many areas of their life.
Their opinions, their feelings, their interests, and their dreams matter just as much as yours and mine. By learning English, they can participate in global conversations and be a voice in a world that currently tells them they don’t belong.
We want to continue providing education for more children who come from underprivileged and stateless communities. But to do so, we need your help. Our youth center depends on sponsorships and donations in order to keep its doors open. Every Baht donated directly supports the education and care of our students and so much more! Find out where your money goes here.
