Reaching out toward disadvatanged learners within Special Education Schools is one of SEAMES Staff endeavors we have conducted as our SEAMES Outreach and Development Activities (SODA). SEAMEO Strategic Plan 2011-2020 promotes Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to help reach out to the communities and contribute its expertise.

SEAMEO Secretariat requested partner organization such as UNESCO Bangkok for dolls, stationeries, books and daily supplies to be given to schools with special need. The Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (IPST), also helped with the donation of learning materials.

On the 9th of October, we arranged a visit to a school in Bangkok called ‘Panyawuithikorn’, a school for intellectual disability and autistic disorder students. It is a primary school (from grade 1 to 6) which students from 6 years old and above can enroll.  The total numbers of students are about 120 students. The school has divided students into two main groups namely; educable and practicable. The special education here focuses on the following 6 key skills:

1. Movements Skills
2. Language and Communication Skills
3. Self Assistance Skills
4. Social and Life Skills
5. Academic Skills
6. Working and Occupation Skills

The school nurtures special education students to be able to live in the community safely and peacefully. Moreover, they are trained to be able to earn income out of their abilities such as cleaning, cooking, deliverying documents, serving and selling coffee at the café inside the school, playing Thai musical instrument and more. Since the Act for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2007 stating that any organization whose employees are over 100 must have at least one person with disability to work there. Mrs Somboon Asirapoj, the School Director, with her passion to train her students to get ready for entering the real-life working environment, passed the special training for children with special needs.  

With the opportunity given by the school, our staff members could observe different classes in each level. We could see and learn on how much dedication of teachers spent with the children. Their patience and devotion can never be compared with gold! The activity ended with hosting of lunch for the whole school, while a student musical band was playing nice music for us. What an amazing and blessed day for SEAMES staff!