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Monasteries (The Wats or Buddhist temples) are the public gathering places where religious and social activities take place. Monasteries have served as educational institutions for young citizens of Thailand for many centuries. Wat schools still function within the social framework of the temples despite the influence of Western education system. There are about 30,000 temples in Thailand where monks live and perform their religious study. To run the monasteries they receive donation. Some monasteries also support social welfare activities like running schools within the temple complex and assisting in local communities. In this project, you will get an opportunity to teach and understand Thai culture/Buddhist religion.
What difference does this project make?
The temple schools aren’t well funded and hiring trained and experienced teachers are beyond their financial means. English has become very important for young children to learn but there aren’t good teachers in the temple schools to teach young students. Hence, our volunteers will concentrate more on developing their English language skills. As a result of this exercise, many young students can improve their English and go on to study in good universities.
Highlights of the program
You’ll teach English, or other subjects if you want. You’ll hold debates and discussions and try to improve their ability to grasp English better. During your free time, you can explore the culture of the city and also make trips south to see pristine beaches or north for cool air and hill sides.
Project location
Our volunteer projects are located in Ayutthaya, an ancient capital and modern city in the central plains of Thailand, about 85 km north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya was founded in 1350 and by 1700 Ayutthaya had become the largest city in the world with a total of 1 million inhabitants. The Burmese invaded Ayutthaya in 1767 and almost completely burnt the city down to the ground. Today, only a few remains might give a glimpse of the impressive city they must have seen. Its remains are characterized by the prang (reliquary towers) and big monasteries. Most of the remains are temples and palaces, as those were the only buildings made of stone at that time. You can reach Ayutthaya from Bangkok by bus, car or train.
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