My Work at Wat Prok

Some Background about the Wat Prok Migrant Education Project

The education of the migrant children at Wat Prok has been a concern of  Maryknoll Br. John Beeching’s for nearly as long as he's been in Bangkok.  He provided for meals, blankets and other necessities as well as organizing occasional volunteers to teach English and provide enrichment activities for the boys.  

In May 2006, Daniel Aguilar Ortiz started a full time effort with the intention of expanding the education of the children at Wat Prok.  An informal approach is required because children from Burma are not easily accepted in local schools and are the victims of considerable prejudice.

Prior to Daniel’s arrival the children mainly studied Mon and Pali language.  Initially, he planned on teaching English and Math and providing some enrichment activities.  After a couple of months the number of children at the temple doubled and Daniel hired two Thai teachers to better serve the children.  In consultation with the main caregiver, Phra Utara and the Thai teachers, Daniel modified the project aims to focus on Thai language acquisition while maintaining English, Math and enrichment activities.  

The local Non-Formal Education Department Director showed interest in helping the children at the temple and when she realized that Marykoll had an ongoing program she provided student identification cards and weekly government teachers.  This developed into a two year grade 6 certificate program for nearly 35 students.  

Current situation

Presently, there are 65 children studying at Wat Prok.  There’s only one girl.  They range in age from seven to eighteen.  A core group of about 25 students have been at the temple for two or more years, but the average stay is a little less than a year and is dependent on the parents’ needs.   The parents usually withdraw their children from the temple to help earn money in shrimp and fish factories in the outskirts of Bangkok.   Mahachai in Samut Prakan has an extensive Mon population.  Sometimes families work in Bangkok’s booming construction industry. 

In general, the children have high self esteem, are respectful and kind.  They care for one another, and responsibly attend to their chores.  They are spirited and curious yet attentive in class and are a joy and privilege to teach.  

There are three full time teachers each weekday and a government teacher comes every Wednesday.  Mr. Daniel Aguilar Ortiz, Ms. Sawika Tookjit and Ms. Warapon Komphet are the full time teachers.  The Non-formal Education office sends Ms. Kannika Songnai to teach once a week.   Ms. Komphet has a  Teacher’s License and  Ms. Tookjit is currently studying for hers.  All three full time teachers have many years experience working with and teaching children.

People often ask, “Why is there only one girl?”  There is no simple answer, but the easiest answer is that traditionally girls aren’t taken to temples to study, mainly because it is a male environment, a monastery.  There are only a handful of women monks at present in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.  The boys in the class say that if their parents bring the girls with them from Burma they keep them close.  Often they stay in the apartments and look after the younger children.  Other parents choose to leave their girls with the grandparents in Burma.  The one girl who does stay at the temple stays with her father, the abbot’s secretary.  

A Typical Day

The children basically take part in the life and responsibilities of the temple from accompanying monks as they receive alms at dawn to chanting and meditating in the evening.  A typical day begins at 6:00 am.  They wash up and accompany one of the seventy resident monks as he walks through the neighborhood receiving offerings.  They  return to the temple around 8:00.  Boys who don’t go out with the monks attend to setting the table and laying out the food once it arrives.  After the monks eat, the boys clean up, choose their breakfast from the collected food and go outside to eat with their friends.  At 9:00 they start school with the Mon and Thai National Anthems, a short Buddhist chant and 5 minutes silent meditation.  After any announcements they  break into three groups, based on age, Thai language ability and previous schooling experience.  The main focus of the class work is Thai language and culture acquisition, but each group studies English and Math for at least two sessions a week.  At 11:00 it is time for the monks to eat.  The boys are responsible for serving the monks and cleaning up the dining area.  After the Abbot has finished the sermon the children eat and relax.  From 1:30 to 3:30 they study and then clean up the classroom and their living area.  On Friday afternoons everybody goes down to the local futsol (5 on 5 soccer played with a smaller heavier ball on a paved court) court to expend some energy and build up the community spirit.  From 4:30 to 6;00 they study on their own in Phra Utara’s quarters. At six they eat and enjoy some free time until 8:00 when they are expected to join the monks for the evening chanting and meditation.  Bedtime comes around 9:30 for the younger boys and 11:00 for the older ones.  Occasionally, the older boys stay up very late watching their favorite soccer teams from the English Premier League.