Thai-New Zealand Sister School Exchange Programme

Thailand – New Zealand On-line Crosscultural and Collaborative Sister School Exchange Project
(To celebrate 50th Anniversary of Thailand-New Zealand Diplomatic Relations)

Project Title: Thailand – New Zealand On-line Crosscultural and Collaborative Sister School Exchange Project
(To celebrate 50th Anniversary of Thailand-New Zealand Diplomatic Relations)

Project Description:
This project is to foster the relationship between Thailand and New Zealand via information and communication technology (ICT) in education.
In addtion, teachers and students of both countries can have opportunities to exchange and visit their sister schools to promote the relationship and mutual understanding.

Proponent’s name and address:
Dr.Rangsun Wiboonuppatum (Contact Person)
The Bureau of Information and Communication Technolgoy
Office of the Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Education
Tel 662-2819809 Fax: 662-281-8218
rangsun@emisc.moe.go.th

Miss Acharapan
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tell 662-6435000 ext. 3035 Fax 6435119
acharapy@mfa.go.th, acharapy@mserv.mfa.go.th

Date of submission
August, 2005

Project Summary
This project will utilize ICT as a tool to enhance students learning and mutual understanding on culture of Thailand and New Zealand. The utilization of ICT in education to foster mutual understanding and relationship can demonstrate how the 21st century education will be when students and teachers are willing to learn and exchange their views and knowledge via borderless tools: internet and exchange programs.

The project actitivies consist of collaborative activities via internet from each school website and exchanging students and teachers by organising sister school visits in the 2006 academic year. This project requires four participating schools (two at the elementary level and two from secondary level) from New Zealand to participate in various activities.

To evaluate the success of this project, all activities will be reported and discussed at the discussion boards: what students can learn from a variety of opinions and also reports and facts from each school website that provides a summary after the website has been launched in the middle and at the end of the project). In addition, reports (including essays or reflections from students and teachers) after visiting their sister schools will be presented to public (via internet.)

1. Background and justification

Thailand and New Zealand have established diplomatic relations for 50 years. In April 2005, Prime Ministers Thaksin Shinawatra of Thailand and Helen Clark of New Zealand witnessed the signing of a Closer Economic Partnership (CEP) Agreement between their two countries. In addition, the Prime Ministers looked forward to taking further concrete steps to further develop their bilateral relations in 2006 by organizing activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and New Zealand.

To foster the relationship between Thailand and New Zealand, the Ministry of Education is encouraging schools in its jurisdiction to establish a practical on-line collaboration and sister school exchanging activities by inviting both primary and secondary schools in Thailand to build partnership with schools in New Zealand. This initative is also to focus on the usage of ICT in education as ways in which students and teachers can enhance their learning and teaching skills using ICT as effective tools. Moreover, the project will highlight the role of ICT in education at school level in strengthening the relationship between the two countries

Thai and New Zealand youths can have access and inquire information and knowledge of each other countries. They can enhance understanding about the relationship of two countries. In addition, the students can have a channel to strengthen their relationship at the micro level in order to promote mutual understanding among youths of both countries.

Teachers and students from participating schools can have opportunities to exchange and visit their sister schools and cultural sites in both countries to experience the differences and similarities between two different cultural contexts. This is to gain more understanding by experiencing the reality in both countries.

The participants in this project from Thailand are as follows:

- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand (Department of American and South Pacific Affairs)
- The Burea of ICT, the Office of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education of Thailand
- The Bureau of International Relations Affairs, Ministry of Education of Thailand
- Thailand’s Participating Schools:
1. Rajsima Witthayalai School
2. Suan Kulab Vitayalai, Nonthaburi
3. Amnauisil, Bangkok
4. Patai Udom Suksa, Bangkok

Cooperation sought from New Zealand
Select four participating schools to be counterparts of the Thai side

2. Proposed activities

1. Collaborative activities via internet from each school website; two major activities are as follows:
a) Thematic discussions regarding Thailand and New Zealand or interesting topics from both countries. This will allow students and teachers (including other youths) to express their points of view and to discuss on various themes which students or teachers set up for discussion and opinion sharing.
b) Websites focusing on Thailand and New Zealand in various aspects will be produced by each participating school. In addition, the activities regarding Thailand and New Zealand will be constantly presented via school websites to promote the mutual understanding and ideas. The website could be developed domestically or bilaterally (Thai and New Zealand students during the project implementation period).

2. Exchange students and teachers by organising sister school visits in the 2006 academic year,

Each Thai school will be happy to host 5 teachers and 10 students from New Zealand to experience the cross cultural activities and meet Thai students at their sister schools. This is to allow participants to get the first hand experiences in Thai culture at the real setting and also at the school setting. Thailand side would like also to receive reciprocal treatment from the participating schools in New Zealand so as to gain better understanding and strengthen relations between Thais and New Zealanders.

3. Objective

To support and improve the bilateral relationship between Thailand and New Zealand,
To celebrate the 50th year aniversary of the relations between Thailand and New Zealand in 2006,
To create opportunities for students from both countries to exhange their first hands experiences between the two countries,
To nurture and strengthen positive relationship between Thailand and New Zealand using participating schools as representatives from both Thai and New Zealand communities. In addtion, the project will deepen the appreciation and understanding of the cross-cultural and host countries.

4. Success Indicators

The satisfaction of students and teachers in inquiring information from school websites.
The dynamic of discussions on various topics of interest to students and teachers who participate in the discussion boards.
The number of visitors at each school’s website.
The satisfaction of students and teachers who participate in the exchanging program.
The statisfaction of parents who support their children in the exchanging program.

5. Outputs

1. Reports on various discussion themes: what students can learn from them.
2. Reports and facts from each school website to provide a summary after the website has been launched (in the middle of and at the end of the project).
3. Reports (essays or reflections from students and teachers) after visiting their sister schools to learn how perspectives have been influenced by the each school visit.

6. Implementation

The Ministry of Education of Thailand will set up a steering committee to oversee the project with the Bureau of ICT as the secretary in close collaboration with the Bureau of International Relationship, the Office of Permanent Secretary by October of 2005.
Each participating school will establish a website aligned with each other under the theme ‘Thailand and New Zealand 50th Aniversary Relationship.’ The websites will be officially launched around November 2006.
Each participating school will request participating schools from New Zealand to participate in thematic discussions on various discussion boards which will be launched around September 2006.
Exchange program between Thai and New Zealand Schools will be launched on March or April for Thailand schools. For New Zealand schools, this will depend on the New Zealand School calendar.

7. Management and implementation arrangements

a. Management arrangements

The Government of each country is a co-funder.
The Ministry of Education of Thailand is a coordinator at the domestic level.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand is a coordinator at the international
level.
Each participating Thai school is working actively in this project and seeks partial funding from parents and teacher assocations.

b. Implementation arrangements

Schedule in Thailand is subject to the Ministry of Education’s arrangement.
At present, all participating schools are committed and presented their commitment to the Bureau of Information and Communication Technology informally.
Each participating school has been informed about the close coordination between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The activities shall be implemented as mentioned in the indicative workplan.

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