Just a pretty face

Hey!

As many of you know, it's the end of the school year. Several weeks ago I accompanied my director and several students on recruiting trips to several off the primary schools in Lampang trying to recruit new students for our M1 class next year. These trips were very informal but were at the same time very formal. There was little preparation or organization on our part, but we were received very formally by the schools we did visit. The first day we visited two primary schools and brought along six current students. The entire grade 6 class (what will become next year's M1 class) was gathered in the school outdoor auditorium seated on the floor. We introduced ourselves and then the guidance counselor from Bunyawat took it from there bringing up students as she needed them. It was funny listening to her presentation as it was revealing as to the true selling points for the English Program. The two most important points that she made during the presentation was that the class sizes were 25-30 students per class instead of the typical 60-70 student and that the classrooms were air conditioned. She did mention that the courses were taught by foreigners and that your English skills would improve, but the biggest selling points was the class size and air-con. I guess I should have expected that, but it didn't hit me until then. When we went to the different schools we were sure to bring along alumni from those schools and we would always point out that there are students from this school in the English Program right now and that you could join them next year. The whole thing was a bit strange and I felt like I was brought along simply to be the pretty face (hence the title) as I didn't really say or do anything. But it was interesting. From the recruitment trips we had 70 applicants for 30 spots and then this week we had our parent/student orientation meeting. The director of the school and several other high level administrators made an appearance (as did the pretty foreigners) and the students received all the forms and such that they needed. I guess this is as good of a place to talk about the school system briefly. There are several different levels of school (like in the US). Here there is prathom (primary school or grades 1-6) and matayom (secondary or grades 7-12). There are also numerous technical schools which start after grade 9 or 12 and then there is university. For each school, the students have to test into the schools and be accepted. Bunyawat is a secondary school and so all of the new M1 students must take a test at the end of grade 6 prior to the summer holiday (meaning the students just took that test). The students take the test at the school that they wish to study. If they pass, they can study there. Bunyawat is a very famous school and so many students want to test into school here and so the examination period last several weeks. Following their admission into a school they have secured a place for the next three years (until grade 9). After grade 9 (or M3), they have to test again at their school of choice. Most students continue to study at the same school, but others will go to different schools, technical schools or other more specialized schools. But at each school, there is an entrance exam that the students must take and pass. Then after complete M6 (grade 12), the students test again in order to be admitted to university and to graduate from school. So, at those different points in a students life, life becomes very stressful for them as they often have one shot at it - you don't test for more than one school. Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent, but I thought it was appropriate. It relates in that before being accepted into the English Program the student had taken and passed an entrance test to Bunyawat and then passed an entrance test for the English Program. I guess I'm glad I only had to go and be a pretty face ;-)

Ryan