Banpu Promotes Educational Standards of Small Schools in the Northeastern Region, Creating a Joyful Learning Atmosphere and Optimizing Teachers’ Skills to the Full Potential
On March 2, 2020 Mrs. Somruedee Chaimongkol, Chief Executive Officer, Banpu Public Company Limited, together with the Company’s working group, visited Banpu’s supported schools under the CONNEXT ED project, namely Nonsaardpittaya School and Bannontunwittaya School in Nhong Reu District, Khon Kaen Province. This visit was meant to track development and achievement in several aspects of these schools after being supported by Banpu in terms of transforming teaching and learning approach activities, funding on school activities, and school development project planning and management for 3 years, starting from the academic year 2017. This project is one of Banpu CSR initiatives which aims at heightening the standard of Thai education in the suburbs by modernizing the teaching and learning approach of teachers to student-centric approach, and creating valuable learning experience, covering kindergarten to junior high school students. A goal of Banpu is to introduce changes to teachers, students, as well as the surrounding communities. The result is noticeable from positive energy of teachers and their students during each learning session, effective teaching style, the test results of Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) and Reading Test (RT), which are getting better in comparison to those schools under the same Primary Educational Service Area Office and the same Network of Education Center. Moreover, the program also offers special expertise and vocational skills which are applicable for the good of their lives.
In this regard, Banpu’s has supported 12 schools located in 3 provinces of the northeastern region, including Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham, and Roi Et. These schools are considered as small-sized schools, the size proportion of which accounts for approximately 50% of the total number of schools administered by the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) in Thailand. The problems these schools have often encountered are lacks of teaching aids and materials, manpower, and opportunities to access to modern and effective teaching techniques. Hence, apart from providing facilities like classrooms and necessary equipment that assure teaching and learning quality, Banpu also allocated a fund of more than THB 20 million in total with an aim of enhancing educational quality, improving vocational and life skills, focusing on providing knowledge to school’s personnel. The aspect encompasses development of kindergarten teachers through RIECE High Scope curriculum from University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, which emphasizes physical, emotional, mental, social, intellectual development in a balanced manner; development of primary and junior high school teachers through teaching technique training and inspiring and standard learning aids via the Active Learning approach conducted by the expert coaches from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Elementary and Secondary School; workshop on Experience Designer for Educator delivered by a guest speaker from Darunsikkhalai School for Innovative Learning; workshop on Professional Learning Community in which teachers from Banpu’s supported schools provided training and shared their teaching techniques to teachers of nearby schools who did not get the chance to participate in the project; vocational knowledge and recreational skills promotion program, etc.
During the visit, Nonsaardpittaya School and Bannontunwittaya School in Nhong Reu District, Khon Kaen Province exhibited their achievements, such as lively learning atmosphere, active student participation, and presented a report of positive impacts that have been made since Banpu started the program. Moreover, they have also witnessed students’ improvement in terms of vocational skills thanks to expert-led training offered by Banpu. Built up from their family occupation and local wisdom, the students have been equipped with higher skills in hairdressing, doormat weaving, earthenware steamer weaving, as well as recreational skills initiated from the idea of inspiring teachers, i.e. a music band of children with special needs, Kita Thai boxing performance, etc.
Mrs. Somruedee Chaimongkol, the CEO of Banpu PCL, stated that “During the past 37 years of Banpu’s energy business growth until today, we have also initiated social responsibility programs concurrently at all times with a belief that “Learning is the Power of Change and Development,” we therefore have continuously executed sustainable education and human development projects for 17 years. In terms of CONNEXT ED project, Banpu focuses on strengthening capacities of all 12 sponsored schools’ personnel, starting from the directors to operational teachers. That’s because we see that the positive energy and knowledge power received by all teachers will drive their potential to become a leader who inspires all kids, making them enjoy the class and proud in life skills which will remain for a long time.”
Throughout 3 years of Banpu’s project operation, there are 178 teachers participating in the training to enhance their teaching potential by professionals from Chulalongkorn University Demonstration Elementary and Secondary School with total of approximately 2,000 students benefited from this. At the same time, 14 Banpu people from several departments have volunteered to be School Partners, planning and coordinating closely with the schools since the project beginning. Employee contribution is regarded as a mission that is in line with Banpu Heart, the corporate culture valuing covers doing by heart, expressing care and share, synergizing and networking, and engaging to community and social development.
Currently, 7 from 12 schools under the patronage of Banpu have been recognized and become a prototype school which can share teaching techniques and teaching materials design and production for teachers in nearby schools. In this regard, in 2019, Banpu selected 3 schools to participate in the Partnership School Project which will be held constantly until the academic year 2023. The project still places importance on elevating the educational standard, together with enhancing school potential to become a center of sustainable human development.
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About Banpu Public Company Limited
Banpu Public Company Limited is a leading integrated energy solutions company in the Asia-Pacific operating three core groups of businesses – energy resources, energy generation, and energy technology – in ten countries: Thailand, Indonesia, China, Australia, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Singapore, Japan, the United States of America and Vietnam.
“Learning is the Power of Change and Development”
Banpu believes that “learning” is the solid foundation in enhancing an “individual,” which drives the community and the society to achieve sustainable development in a long run. Banpu’s CSR and other social-oriented activities of every country, therefore, emphasize and promote continued learning among young people and communities in a number of ways, be they daily real-life experiences, learning in- and outside the classroom, hands-on practice that enhances capabilities and life skills, or researches, learning, and knowledge discovery, both individually and as a team.
