Curriculum

Note ; This year our school was badly affected by the COVID crisis. The Burma border was closed in April, so more than 60 students did not return for June classes when school began. The Thai government did not allow migrant schools to open for classes, so we had to improvise our teaching methods. Primary level school children received “home-based learning”, where teachers visit a student’s home in various districts, and students living nearby gather there once per week for study. Middle and high school students have online assignments, via Facebook or Zoom, in all their regular subjects. Teachers make student assessments every month, and final exams will be given in March, either online, at students’ homes, or at school when possible. Under these challenging conditions we still plan to complete this year’s classes.

BHSOH Learning Center has three different learning programs to accommodate the various needs of our migrant students and their families.

The Education Quality Assurance Board (EQAB) Curriculum

The foundation learning program for all students at BHSOH, from kindergarten to Grade-10, is the standard Myanmar government curriculum from the EQAB. The EQAB program was designed by the Migrant Education Integration Initiative (MEII), which was especially focused on creating a Myanmar curriculum for migrant children, using G-3, G-7, and G-9 standardized exams, so that the academic achievements of students who intend to return to Myanmar could be recognized by the Myanmar government education department. BHSOH cooperates with the EQAB program as a partner school of the Burmese Migrant Teacher Association (BMTA). This program especially suits students who will stay in Thailand temporarily and have a plan to return to work or continue their education in Myanmar. We also include English and Thai lessons for these students as part of their general learning. After Grade-10 at BHSOH, students who want to take the National Myanmar Matriculation Exam can go to nearby Hsa Htoo Lei or other schools for classes designed to prepare for this government exam.

BHSOH Pre-GED Program (Grade-11 and Grade-12)

These classes are designed to be an English-based international high school education program for our young adults. Using standard GED (US) and GCE O level (UK) high school curricula suitable for their goals, we teach Grades 10, 11, and 12 high school subjects such as math, science, social studies, and basic computer skills, in English, as well as the reading, writing, listening and speaking skills necessary to function in an English-speaking environment. Graduates are prepared to apply for better-paying jobs in the local labor market or in Myanmar, including work with international businesses or NGOs, where their language skills are in high demand. Many graduates also apply to the various higher education programs available, such as MHEP (Mae Sot), EGG (Hpa An), Kant Kaw (Yangon), EPOP online, and ACU one-year Diploma studies. In our pre-GED classes, students are trained by foreign volunteer teachers, some from the Mae Sot Education Project (Canada), as well as by local Burmese teachers proficient in English.

Thai Non-Formal Education Program (Thai NFE)

The Thai NFE program is a Thai government project primarily for Thai citizens who have not completed the formal Thai secondary education program. BHSOH Learning Center has been able to use the Thai NFE curriculum since 2016. We provide a Thai NFE program designed especially for migrant students, who receive a recognized Kaw Saw Naw certificate from the Thai Government after completing their classes. These classes are taught to our students from Grade 8, along with the regular EQAB Myanmar curriculum. Migrant students who have completed Thai NFE are officially recognized by the Thai government as qualified students and allowed to access higher-level schooling within Thai educational institutes. Students with Thai NFE certification, who can speak the Thai language well, have career opportunities similar to Thai nationals, and can use their Thai language skills for doing international business in Myanmar. Students who complete the high school level in the Thai NFE (Paw Waw Saw) can pursue further education in Thai universities. This program suits students who want to pursue education and stay in Thailand for the long term. About 20% of BHSOH students follow TFE program.

A program of the Education for Friendship Foundation.

Boarding High School for Orphans and Homeless