Current Status  -  July 2005 

Living Values Education Programme continues to grow in Thailand. Many LVEP Educator Trainings have been held in Bangkok, in the north of Thailand, and in Pattani, and interest is increasing on all sides. So far, more than 1,500 teachers and educators from various schools and universities throughout the country have attended the LVEP Trainings. This year, a school that implemented LVEP for two years, the Kasem Pittaya School, received the Royal Award offered by the Ministry of Education.

In the northeast, educators with the Karen tribe also use LVEP materials, both the Living Values Activities for Refugees and Children Affected by War materials and the materials for regular students. Annual trainings have been taking place in different camps since 1999.

Bangkok

Regular LVEP Educator Trainings began in Thailand in 2002. A one-day educator training program was held on March 1, 2002 at Saint Hospital for about 50 teachers from Catholic schools. To fulfill the interest of Thai teachers, the first formal five-day LVEP Train-the-Trainer was held April 22 - 26, 2002, hosted by Srinakarin Virot University, a well-known public university. About 35 teachers from nine Catholic schools and one international school, and 20 educators from the university attended. Most of the participants expressed that the training helped them explore their own values as teachers and improve their teaching performance. They showed interest and enthusiasm to make use of LVEP.

In August of 2002, two-day LVEP Educator Trainings were organized, hosted by Bangkok Bilingual School. Eighty-four teachers from 17 schools in Hoaw-Kwang Community attended the training. The teachers enjoyed the activities and could really see that they could be integrated in their classes. Most participants also enjoyed learning about skills to create a values-based atmosphere, such as acknowledgement, active listening, conflict resolution and collaborative rule making.

LVEP Educator Trainings started to take place in Kasam Bundit University on a regular basis after Diane Tillman presented LVEP and its theoretical model to the President of Kasam Bundit University, faculty members, a group of vice presidents of academic affairs of various private universities in Bangkok, and interested educators on October 14, 2002. Since then, six trainings have been held. Invitations were extended to various schools in Bangkok as well as other provinces throughout the country. About 500 teachers attended these trainings; educators ranged from teaching at the kindergarten level to university level. Most participants enjoyed the activities and the happy, peaceful atmosphere. Participants commented:

• The training enabled them to gain insight into the process of teaching values; this can be used in the classroom as well as in daily life.

• The training enabled them to gain insight into the process of developing oneself from within; a better person will definitely create a better society.

• The training enabled them to have direct experience with value activities which are fun, relaxing and elicit peace and happiness.

• The values activities enabled them to realize their own inner qualities, a starting point of positive and creative thinking.

• The values activities provided a chance to work together in unity, to express one?s own ideas and to give respect to others.

A one-day LVEP Parent Workshop was led by Diane Tillman on October 13, 2002, hosted by the Bangkok Bilingual School. About 40 parents and interested people attended. They all had fun and gained deep insight on becoming better parents.

Four schools in Bangkok have organized two-day LVEP Educator Trainings for their teachers. They were:

• Lert-La School: May 3 and 4, 2004, for 200 teachers.

• Vat Tham-Mongkol School: May 5 and 6, 2004, for 30 teachers.

• St. Joseph Bangna School: October 5 and 6, 2004, for 150 teachers.

• Technic Vimol School: December 18 and 19, 2004, for about 35 teachers.

North of Thailand

Prae Province ? A one-day LVEP Educator Training was organized for all 53 teachers at Song Pittayakom School on July 25, 2002, in Prae province. The training was very well-received. The Director of the school, Mr. Preecha Bumbut, fully realized the importance of value teaching and thus participated throughout the day. During the opening ceremony, he said that it is the policy of the national educational reform that teaching values be integrated in all subjects of the curriculum, hence the training came at the right time to help provide teachers with guidelines and methods to teach values to students. The teachers participated in all activities with zeal and enthusiasm. Here are some of the insights and experiences of the participants:

• Values activities are tools to develop positive thinking and value one?s own self, others and the society at large. Each individual learns to live together in peace and harmony.

• The training provides new insights and guidelines as to how to integrate values teaching in the classroom.

• To develop values in students, teachers have to develop them in themselves first.

• The training helps teachers know how to create a values-based atmosphere which enables all to be peaceful and happy, and to feel valued, respected and loved.

Chiangmai - Three LVEP Educator Trainings took place in the following institutions:

• Two-day LVEP Trainings, hosted by Chiangmai Kindergarten School, were held December 28 and 29, 2002, with 52 participants from nine schools.

• Three-day trainings, organized by the Faculty of Pharmacy at Chiangmai University, were held April 21?23, 2003, for 40 participants (30 faculty members and 10 teachers from three schools in Chiangmai and one school from Chiangerai province ). Most participants showed keen interest in the program and actively planned to make use of it in their teachings. Many stated that they enjoyed the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere and gained insight into the benefits of positive and creative thinking and the process of imbibing values both in themselves and students.

• Two-day trainings at Sacred Heart College were organized on July 15 and 16, 2003, for all 250 teachers at the school. Most of the teachers enjoyed the activities and especially liked the relaxation/focus exercises. They said they felt that LVEP activities could be applied and integrated into the existing curriculum.

Surprisingly, one of LVEP?s less known programs was the first curriculum used in Thailand ? in a refugee camp. In 1998, Rachel Flower held a LVEP workshop in Chiangmai for a group of 14 NGOs. This was the seed for implementing LVEP?s Living Values Activities for Refugees and Children Affected by War (LVARCAW) in Karen refugee camps along the Thai?Myanmar border. In May of 1999, Rachel Flowers and Diane Tillman conducted a training for 35 refugee teachers in a camp toward the north of Thailand. The numbers of Living Values teachers grew in the camp with subsequent follow-ups and training. Teachers and students reported very positive results at all levels ? and in all relationships. The decrease in aggression and increase in respect and cooperation was visible and rewarding to both teachers and students.

Over the years a small group of Karen refugee teachers have taken responsibility for conducting the two week training program for LVARCAW teachers, led by the continuing efforts of Rachel Flower and Bharati Ramakrishnan. Currently, Karen teachers from other Karen camps are being trained through the generous support and cooperation of ZOA, a Dutch-based NGO. Many thanks to ZOA, and Rachel Flower and Bharati Ramakrishnan, who continue to offer follow-up support and monitoring.

South of Thailand

Pattani - Three LVEP Educator Trainings were organized in Pattani as follows:

• Two two-day LVEP Educator Trainings were held for five municipal schools on March 28 and 29, 2003 and April 1 and 2, 2003. There were about 90 teachers from three schools in the first session, and about 70 from two schools in the second one. The Mayor of Pattani performed the opening ceremony. After the training, he stated that this exactly corresponds with the new policy of the educational reform and that the schools should try to make use of it.

• Another two-day training was organized at Songkla-Nakarin University for interested teachers on November 16 and 17, 2004. About 30 teachers from various schools in Pattani attended.

 
Number of Sites Using Living Values Education 

Total number of sites  150

Some teachers at 150 sites have received LVEP Educator Training. At a few sites, all the teachers have been trained and they are implementing LVEP school-wide.

Universities: 18

 

Colleges (including Teacher colleges): 20

 

Schools: 112

 
Impact 

The Recipient of the Annual Royal Award offered by the Ministry of Education

The educators of Kasem Pittaya School decided to apply for the annual royal award offered by the Ministry of Education after two years of implementing Living Values Education Programme. The story began with all the teachers from the school attending a three-day LVEP Educator Training at Kasem Bundit University in April 2003. The school began to integrate LVEP school-wide in May 2003. The principal set up a Living Values room for students and arranged extra hours for each class to come in and take LVEP lessons. After two years, the school was evaluated according to the criteria set up by a committee from the Ministry. Student performance in morality had improved at a high level and they achieved the required standard in this area and in many others. The school was given the annual Royal Award for 2005 by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirintorn on June 13, 2005. The principal said LVEP had contributed a very important part in uplifting teachers, students and the general atmosphere of the school.

Ms. Ratri Kamkiti, the school?s head of Academic Affairs, reported: ?Due to LVEP, the students? moral behavior has improved. They became better persons and can live with others happily and peacefully. There?s no more fighting in the school. They learned to forgive and act calmly. They are better in terms of honesty, tolerance, cooperation and compassion, and they have good manners. They have more respect for seniors, juniors, friends, parents and teachers. They became more enthusiastic to learn. All the students love the LVEP lessons and enjoy themselves a lot in taking part in LVEP activities.?

Ms.Ratri Kamkiti also told the following story: ?The conflict resolution technique proved to be effective. There were two girls who disliked each other for some time; this soon escalated into a fight. They beat each other in a restroom and so I used the conflict resolution method with them. Now they no longer fight and have become close friends. They are together most of the time now.?

Ms. Sriwan Saifah, the Principal of Kasem Pittaya School, indicated improvement in all areas on the whole school indicator form. There were gains in student attendance, student tardiness, the transient rate, and teacher attendance. There were academic gains in reading, language and math. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being outstanding, she rated the school before implementing LVEP as 5 in school climate, 6 in student courtesy, 5 in caring and respect, and 6 in staff cooperation. After one year, the respective ratings were 7, 7, 8 and 8. After two years of implementing LVEP, the ratings were 8 in school climate, 8 in student courtesy, 9 in caring and respect, and 9 in staff cooperation. She noted that the school would like to share this experience and greatly appreciates the LVEP program in trying to help children, society and the world at large.

Living Values Education with Karen Tribe Refugees

The following results are taken from interviews with Karen teachers in a refugee camp. For a full report, kindly see the article, ?Educating for a Culture of Peace in a Refugee Camp?.

Every teacher spoke about the changes in their students. They frequently noted that the students were interested in the Living Values lessons. All of them spoke of increases in participation and expression. Their comments included:

?The students now dare to speak.?

?They share their pictures now, before they would just be quiet.?

?Before when a camp leader would come to the class they would be quiet, now

they not only dare to speak, they ask questions.?

The teachers noted increases in respect and/or love and friendliness in the students, for their peers, and teachers. Many said they were more ?obedient? and tried harder. They said that the children were happier and the sad students were less sad. Some students when they saw conflict (in other students), they said, ?Oh, we learned about Living Values ? we don?t do that.? and they taught the other students conflict resolution.

All of the teachers said the students fought much less frequently, and ten teachers said that their students now did not fight at all. A woman teacher who had done the most lessons, said of her twelve to sixteen year-old students: ?Before they had this training they used to get angry quickly, not forgive each other quickly, and some were cruel. Now they do not anger easily
and forgive each other, and they are not cruel, they are patient. Now, there are no fights. They try harder, are friendlier to me, and can solve problems in the classroom.?

All the teachers spoke of their increase in teaching satisfaction. A male teacher said, ?I used to have a hard heart and enjoyed teaching less. Now I have more control, am more patient. I have a soft heart and enjoy teaching more.? A woman teacher shared, ?Before when the students were noisy and disobedient I would speak forcefully, now I speak gently and I love them more and more.? The teachers used their new methods of creating a values-based atmosphere in their other classes. Some teachers spoke spontaneously of increases in attendance.

The camp leader likes the LVEP program very much. He has noticed positive changes in both the teachers and the students. He shared with the author that he has a new vision for his people. He, and the refugee teachers doing the LVEP program, feel they are building skills for peace now that will give them a society of peace in the future.