New University Education Programme for Teacher Training on the Thai-Myanmar BorderThailand

Australian Catholic University (ACU) and its in-country partner in Thailand, the Marist Asia Foundation (MAF), have trialed a new university education program in the southern border crossing township of Ranong that aims to train the next generation of community educators. By the end of 2020, five teachers will have completed ACU’s Certificate in Teaching and Learning program, which they completed while holding teaching roles in local community learning centres. 

Prior to the start of this pilot program, there were no formal education opportunities for educators in Thailand who have come from refugee and migrant communities. In Ranong, 19 YEAR IN REVIEW STORIES young teachers (who are graduates of ACU’s Diploma in Liberal Studies program) have the opportunity to develop teaching confidence through the twelve-month Certificate program, where they undertake learning and mentoring of classroom skills, student management, educational theory, and curriculum assessment. This program has had young teachers focus on incorporating a learner-centered approach to teaching through collaborative planning, observations, and reflection. 

As part of their training, future teachers have created colorful posters for their classrooms to assist in the development of independent learners. The ACU program, delivered at the MAF learning centre, aims to train up to ten teachers for the local migrant community. The pilot project reminds us that collaborative community-embedded learning is an effective way to build local teacher capacity in the long-term displaced Myanmar communities in Thailand. 

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