Access to Quality Education
Access to quality education is part of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It is one of the most important tools to break the cycle of poverty and prevent exploitation of the most vulnerable.
In Northern Thailand, an area that has seen little development over the years, the enrollment of Karen children in primary education is just 51% (compared to national average at 89%) whilst only 1 in 4 Karen children complete their secondary education. One of the main reasons for the low number of children enrolled is the distance to schools. KHT is dedicated to increase access to education for marginalised Karen communities through projects that are coordinated in cooperation with every village we work in to ensure long-term sustainability and local ownership.
Currently we have four Access to education projects – School Transport, School Meals, Higher Education Scholarships and School dormitories.
So far our projects have provided access to education for more than 16,000 Karen children!
Current Projects
School Transport
The provision of a school transport service is a simple solution to ensuring access to education for Karen communities. Without transport to and from school, there is a greater risk of: school drop-out at both primary and secondary level; low school enrolment for girls reducing their chances of a better future; and children being put at risk whilst travelling to school.
KHT supports 18 community-led school transport services across Mae Hong Son Province to increase access to education for Karen children from rural communities.
Read more!
School Meals
To ensure children do not go hungry whilst living at school and to relieve the financial pressure for Karen parents whose children are staying in school dormitories, KHT provides financial support to schools through the School Meals Project.
The project ensures that all children that stay in the school dormitories get three nutritious meals every day, supporting them to achieve their potential.
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Higher Education Scholarships
To ensure that cycles of poverty are broken, KHT also provides scholarships to vulnerable Karen youths for vocational and teaching courses, supporting the development of practical skills.
These courses increase employment and livelihood opportunities for scholarship recipients and their families and contribute to social change on a larger scale.
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Healthy and Happy Classrooms!
Issues such as parasitic infestations, unsafe drinking water in schools and limited resources in schools also leave Karen children at a disadvantage when gaining an education.
KHT has worked to support children by implementing deworming programmes, providing schools with water filters and also supporting schools with learning resources.
Read more!
Do you want to get involved?
There are many ways you can support our work: become a monthly donor, fundraise for one of our projects, or why not volunteer in Thailand!
As a teaching volunteer you help increase access to quality education for children in Mae Hong Son, and provide support for the teachers. A rewarding experience!
To find out more on how you can get involved, click on the links below.
Teaching Volunteer Get Involved