50 Phuket schools join ‘less class time’ program

PHUKET: A total of 50 Phuket schools have joined a new national program that allows their students to spend fewer hours in the classroom.

The policy of ‘Moderate Class, More Knowledge’ gives students the opportunity to pursue other interests outside of the classroom in the afternoon.

“All 49 primary schools in Phuket joined the program on Monday. However, only one high school decided to participate,” Chalam Attatham, director of the Phuket Primary Educational Service Area Office, told the Phuket Gazette.

Students will have between six to seven hours a week outside of the classroom for arranged activities that meet their interests, Mr Chalam said.

“These activities can be related to music, sport, literature, debate, community service and other fields, and will help them improve academically, in their practical lives or developing a new skill,” Mr Chalam said. “This way students can learn from real-world experiences rather than only from classroom work and theoretical knowledge.”

Schools are required to continue to observe students during their time out of the classroom, Mr Chalam confirmed.

“Students love these activities very much. On Monday, we let them play sports and pursue computer science-related activities. Today, they are participating in cooking classes,” said Sapam School Deputy Director Anjana Kasempatha. “I think they can learn these skills in a stress-free environment this way.”

Nittikorn Numkao, a grade six student at Sapam School, told the Gazette that he was very pleased with the new program.

“I have the freedom to choose what I want to do. I’m excited to join the cooking class, especially making desserts – I love cooking,” he said.

However, some problems did arise with scheduling issues and lack of staff to observe kids during their activity time. Such issues will be addressed during a meeting to be held on November 12, designed for school representatives to provide feedback on the program, confirmed Mr Chalam.

— Kongleaphy Keam