First things first
How Phannaroj Chalitaporn fought to give early childhood education the emphasis it deserves
Awoman of many talents, Phannaroj Chalitaporn couldn’t be happier with her decision to pursue her interest in education after years of working in finance. Setting up Raintree International School, an early learning centre opening its doors to the public in August, is an endeavour she’s been anticipating with bated breath. Stepping into the field of education came very much by chance for the University of Cambridge graduate. In short, her passion to develop a proper foundation in early education was greatly influenced by her elder sister Vorachan Chirathivat, who herself started the children’s educational book brand Tiny Tree.
It was when both sisters were hunting for schools for Vorachan’s daughter that Phannaroj realised a gap in quality early education in Thailand. Her own plans to start a family are what piqued her interest in how to address the increasing demand for such schools.
Phannaroj decided to build her own school after making an in-depth study of how early education plays a pivotal role in the type of adult a child grows up to become.
For this is the developmental stage not just for a child’s academic side, she said, but also their social and emotional sides.
“Thailand has some great schools, but in my opinion, it is not enough,’’ said Phannaroj, 33.
“My personal concern about the type of education I desire for my kids and loved ones also drove me to act on my desire to start my own school. It has always been my wish to offer a child-centred international education — a multilingual learning environment, integrated with English-Mandarin, and with a holistic programme understanding the importance of well-being as well as academic readiness.
“I felt strongly about adding Mandarin to the curriculum because I had spent close to four years as an expat in Beijing. It was there that I found how useful it was to speak the language. I’m also passionate about fostering global citizenship. As there are truly no proper international schools offering Mandarin, I was confident this was a step in the right direction.’’
Phannaroj has also added a good measure of inquiry-based learning to foster creativity in students, all in the hope that this will help prepare them to face the job market of the future. “Stats tell us that a number of jobs will be non-existent by the time today’s preschoolers grow up, so how do we prepare our children to face such a future?’’ she said.
“Having a good foundation in academia will not suffice. We need to equip our kids with skills in problem-solving. This is an area that I believe a lot of schools don’t focus on — teaching students how to use information to solve problems.
“Teaching them resilience, perseverance and how to work with others despite differences are life skills that should be instilled in children today.’’
For this, Phannaroj has hired the British Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum together with inquiry-based Reggio Emilia approach, essential and highly recommended for early years, to offer among other things the opportunity to learn at a student’s own pace.
Much attention is put on the natural environment, which she said is the child’s third teacher after what they learn from adults and their peers. That is why Raintree is housed in an enclosure dotted with raintree plants and trees. The school — an S-curved building — has been constructed around the trees. “Children learn through nature. Most kids today grow up in high-rise condominiums, so their feet often don’t touch the grass. It will be enriching for them to encounter nature up close. We have preserved a lot of the greenery because a significant number of the activities will be conducted outdoors.’’
Both sisters, who are of generation Y, say they understand the requirements of parents from other generations, all of whom have one thing in common, besides teaching excellence, and that is, they desire to see their children have outdoor exercise and sensory-development activities in the hope that they become happy, healthy and balanced people.
Phannaroj is a strong believer in forward thinking. She hopes to use the foreign teaching staff to train Thai teachers in government schools. It’s her way of helping develop Thailand’s educational system. In this manner, she said, a larger number of students can benefit from the know-how shared by experts, instead of offering scholarships that only select individuals can benefit from.