BLSO School
The BLSO School was established in 2000 and has grown phenomenally from what were humble beginnings. With nearly 120 students enrolled, 5 dedicated full time teachers, one part time teacher and a curriculum which includes Burmese, Thai and English language lessons, the BLSO school strives to create a fun, safe and engaging environment for its students.
The BLSO School was one of the very first Burmese migrant schools established here in Mae Sot, and provides a most vital safe haven for the children of migrant workers. Unable to attend local Thai public schools, before the BLSO School was set up Burmese migrant children were often left unsupervised during daylight hours while their parents were at work. Of great concern to the BLSO was the fact that the parents were unavailable to educate their children. Recognising the vital importance of education for the future aspirations of these children, the BLSO sought and won the approval of the parents within the local migrant worker community and, in April 2000, opened the school.
The BLSO School takes pride in the international standard of education it provides for its students and works closely with the parents to stress the importance of continued education once the children have completed their primary school studies. While the BLSO School at this point in time doesn’t extend to the secondary level, it works in close partnership with a nearby secondary school and provides bicycles as incentive for recent graduates to continue with their studies.
The following photographs were taken in January 2010 when a volunteer from Australia, Zarah, visited Mae Sot and taught English at the BLSO School for one month. If you’re interested in finding out more about teaching English at a Burmese migrant school in Thailand, feel free to email Zarah via the ‘contact us’ link on this website. Alternatively, you can read a little about her experiences through her blogs.
