An awards ceremony and display of student-developed products under the “Equity Partnership’s School Network, Year 5” project were held on September 25, 2024, at the promotion area on the G floor of Samyan Mitrtown shopping mall in Bangkok by Equity Lab by the Equitable Education Fund (EEF), in partnership with SEA Thailand, the online shopping platform provider Shopee, and the International School Network. This was done to demonstrate the effectiveness of the “Model for Reducing Inequality with Innovative Educational Institutions,” which developed into a model for the sustainable development of vocational and 21st-century skills. This project relied on a cooperative mechanism between educational institutions, teachers, and equal scholarship students from schools in order to expand opportunities in the network of the Equitable Education Fund and international schools. It also created a space for learning new things, used time to exchange experiences, and developed products to increase their value before selling them on the Shopee platform, which brought in money for communities and schools.
The Equitable Education Fund (EEF) Manager, Dr. Kraiyos Patrawart, discussed the innovation that resulted from the public and commercial sectors working together over five years to mobilize knowledge and expertise to supplement creative learning and make Thai society more equal.
“According to the findings of the study on lower secondary school students’ preparedness to enter the workforce (Career Readiness), which is a partnership between the Equitable Education Fund and the Faculty of Economics, Thammasat University, children who possess soft skills like creativity, problem-solving, and cooperation will have a positive impact on their future in the workplace and the ability to adapt to changes and new challenges.”
All proceeds from the project are used to support the development of children and youth in rural schools. Over the last five years, more than 500 networks of students and teachers from Thai and international schools have produced more than 140 pieces of work, generating sales through the Shopee network and other networks totaling more than 1,600,000 baht.
As a service provider of the Shopee online product platform, Ms. Phutthawan Suphatthanan, Director of Corporate Communications, SEA (Thailand) Company Limited, discussed her perception of contributing to the development of educational power by promoting digital marketing, storytelling, digital skills, and branding for students through real-world experiences on Shopee’s online platform.
“I’m delighted to provide a platform for students to sell goods on Shopee. They will gain knowledge via practical experiences, and I am convinced that every student has faced difficulties, problems, or setbacks during the learning process. Because we have collaborated and learned from one another, the experience has been incredibly important.”
Rugby School Thailand’s Mr. Greg Threlfall talked about how proud he is to represent international schools and the significant benefits he has received from working on the project over the years. These benefits include giving international school students a spot to interact and learn from students from opportunity schools from a variety of backgrounds, helping them to develop their teamwork skills, understand other cultures, and be prepared to grow anywhere.
Mr. Greg further disclosed that certain foreign schools in the FOBISIA network have shown interest in learning more about the project’s methodology and exploring the potential for collaboration in creating new possibilities and products.
“This collaborative innovation is a model for the Ministry of Education in developing vocational skills, generating income for children, supporting access to higher education opportunities, and reducing inequality in Thai society,” stated Mr. Monthon Paksuwan, Secretary-General of the Private Education Commission. Additionally, he feels that all sectors can work together to develop sustainability, which could result in an egalitarian society where no child is left behind. He also expressed his gratitude and joy to everyone who has been involved in the events over the previous five years. Living learning has been developed by everyone. These expenses will be utilized to improve children’s lives, advance communities, and advance society.
This year, there are 10 Thai schools from the Office of the Basic Education Commission’s Opportunity Expansion Schools, namely Ban Thanying Wipha School in Surat Thani Province, Wat Tha Som School (Khun Sararat Bamrung) in Trat Province, Ban Muang Nadi School in Ubon Ratchathani Province, Khun Yuam Witthaya School in Mae Hong Son Province, Dong Sawan Witthaya School in Nong Bua Lamphu Province, Ban Na Lao School in Maha Sarakham Province, Ban Ya Pho School in Tak Province, Phiang Luang 1 School (Ban Tha Ton) in Chiang Mai Province, Ban Thung Hong School (Aphiwang Wittayalai) in Phrae Province, and Ban Noi Luek School in Chiang Rai Province, which have partnered with 5 international schools, namely Shrewsbury International School, Rugby School Thailand, St. Andrews International School, Prasarnmit Demonstration School (International Program), and Ascot International School, to jointly design products from local wisdom and distribute products online through the “Give a Chance as a Gift” campaign on Shopee under 10 brands that reflect their identities.
Throughout the project, there are criteria for award judging that are separated into two categories: marketing and selling, which includes sales, cost-profit comparison, product story presentation, channels and methods of product presentation, and teamwork, which includes group members working together and coordinating well, having clear work procedures, accepting perspectives, understanding different cultures, and creativity and innovation. The winning team, “Neramit,” from Ban Na Lao School in Maha Sarakham Province, and Prasarnmit Demonstration School, International Program, created bare cement pots with leaf patterns printed on them under the brand “Sang Aeng Sang Eng.” Their concept was that all kinds of leaves are valuable, functional, and have unique qualities in addition to beautiful patterns. Consequently, they were developed as a component of the cement goods that define the Ban Na Lao community’s identity. The team named “Bhan Rak Ban Rak” from Ban Thung Hong School (Aphiwang Wittayalai), Phrae Province, and Rugby International School won the first runner-up award. They collaborated to create portable cloth bags and slippers using tie-dyed cloth from a community that originated from the Tai Phuan culture and is the province’s largest source of Hom Hom cloth. The team “DrewDee” from Ban Muang Nadi School in Ubon Ratchathani Province, in partnership with St. Andrews International School, took the second runner-up award. They created instant sprouted brown rice porridge under the brand name “Ngork Ngam” using natural ingredients from the community, deciding on whole grain brown rice and local vegetables that help and support Ban Muang Nadi farmers and children.
The event concluded with a seminar on the topic of “Future Equity Partnership.” The seminar focused on the significance of supporting all children and youth in accessing quality education, developing all-around learning, creating a welcoming learning environment, and advocating for it to be included in the future curriculum to draw lessons about innovation development from the collaboration of all sectors over the previous five years, including the idea of expanding cooperation that will lead to sustainability in the sixth year.
