The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s After School scheme promotes education with a learner-centric approach via volunteer teaching staff.

Volunteer teaching staff have been recruited to teach students subjects they are interested in.

“Teachers need to stimulate children, so they can find their passion and discover what they want to be in the future,” Dr Wanthanee Watthana, BMA deputy permanent secretary, said.
She visited the Wat Pracha Sattha Tham School in Bang Sue district on Tuesday to see how the After School project was working.

The school has 161 students from kindergarten to Grade 6, and the After School project targets Grade 5 and 6 students via specialised classes every Monday from 3pm to 5pm. The classes are conducted in Thai.

“BMA aims to have all schools in the city provide language classes in English, Chinese and Thai as well as computer coding as part of the project,” Wanthanee said.

“Coding will help children develop their thought process systematically and improve their problem-solving skills.”

She added that students with IT skills can grow up to be programmers – a profession that is high in demand in the current market dominated by the digital industry. The three languages, meanwhile, can also prove to be useful in several occupations.
“Schools, nowadays, must evolve from being just educational institutes to become places that provide lifelong learning. Meanwhile, programmes like After School or Saturday School aim to use existing resources to the fullest,” she said.

“Parents are also encouraged to infuse self-learning among children so they can explore their interests during their free time to strengthen their foundation.

“Another valid approach is providing vocational training to children, especially in subjects that can be adapted to daily life,” she added.

“The BMA wants to thank all volunteers who have donated their time and effort into building the future of young children in the city.”