This small primary school is the only school in Samut Sakhon that takes large numbers of migrant children thanks to a welcoming attitude from its headmistress, teachers, Thai students and most of their parents.

Samut Sakhon has one of the biggest migrant-worker populations in the Central region. According to the Labour Rights Promotion Network (LPN), it has about 120,000 registered migrants from Burma, Laos and Cambodia. That number includes about 2,800 migrant children. However, the organisation estimates the province also has more than 100,000 illegal and unregistered migrants.

"If they don't go to school, the children will become migrant child labourers," LPN director Sompong Srakaew said.

In response to remarks by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Cabinet resolved in July last year that all children in the country, no matter what their nationality, had the right to be educated. So the Education Ministry now has a policy of admitting migrant children to its schools.

But no schools in Samut Sakhon have as many migrant children as Wat Sirimongkol School.

Situated in Mahachai district, the state-run Wat Sirimongkol School was set up 67 years ago. Today it has 207 students, about 150 of whom are migrants. They were brought there by LPN, which gathered them from more than 30 communities of migrant workers in Muang district.

On their first day at school, most children can't speak or understand Thai, but each of them not only gets a uniform, they are also given a Thai name and surname.

"We give each of them a Thai-style name whose pronunciation resembles their [Burmese] name because they are easier to call out and it also gives them the feeling of being "Thai'," said deputy school director Jitra Basri.

Songwin, a seven-year-old Mon boy, was given the name Assawin, and he now prefers people to call that name instead of his old one.

After four months attending the first-grade class, he is now good at reading and writing Thai.

"I love to come to the school. I have many friends, and I like the Thai-language class the most," the youngster said.

At this school, the syllabus for migrant kids is no different from what Thai students learn, except for those who don't understand Thai. Such children are required to attend preparatory classes with teachers from LPN sent to instruct them in the basics of Thai.

Besides Thai language and general subjects, the children are taught social etiquette, about Thai law, prohibited drugs and health.

Headmistress Saowanee Sawang-arom said there were no problems having Thai, Burmese, Mon and other ethnic groups in the same classroom.

"We have never divided them no matter what their nationality. Instead, we repeat to them that they are Thais and have the same father, His Majesty the King," she said.

Saowanee felt the children had a great deal of love. "They love each other, teachers, school and, most of all, they really love the King," she said.

However, teachers had to spend time with Thai parents to help them understand their children's new schoolmates. Most of them welcomed migrant children, she said.

However, one Thai parent said some of her neighbours would prefer their children to quit the school because of fears about infectious diseases.

Lamyuan Tahuan, 57, said she was happy for her granddaughter to be friends with migrant children. All children should receive a chance to go to school, she said.

The eyes of Sri, one Burmese migrant worker, brimmed with tears when asked how she felt four months after her daughter was able to go to the school.

"I had always wanted my daughter to go to school, but I have no money. So when the school received her, I couldn't explain how I glad I was," she said.

Sri said migrants were always deceived and cheated because they didn't understand Thai or know Thai law, but now she could rely on her daughter.

"She can take me outside and explain many things to me," Sri said.

Sompong, of LPN said that, sadly, his group could reach only 5 per cent of migrant children in the province. That means thousands of migrant children are still forced to work, with some locked up in factories by employers.

Chatrarat Kaewmorakot 

The Nation