A Samut Prakan monk has been rewarded for his efforts teaching morality to junior high schools.

Phra Sitthiphong Dhira-punyo of Wat Dansamrong has been given the Religious Affairs Department Best Education Media prize.

Phra Sitthiphong developed teaching aids based on television quiz games to instruct pupils about the life and teachings of Buddha. He calls it Kong Buddha Prawat - or the box of Buddha's biography.

Phra Sitthiphong has been teaching Buddhism in schools since 1996. He joined the government's morality project in 2005.

Today he instructs junior high-school students at Mahaphap Krachangthong and Dansamrong schools on Mondays and Fridays. Pupils gather in one large classroom to listen to his lectures.

"At first, I was so proud to be a teacher. But later, I was stressed because a class of 200 to 300 students cannot follow my lessons. They are noisy and not interested in Buddhist morality.

"So, I thought I should have games, parables or jokes sometimes, so they wouldn't be bored.

"I created simple education materials like picture cards and picture work sheets to get their attention. And it worked. Students paid more attention in classes because they were funny and easy to understand," he said. Phra Sitthiphong designed the quiz box for the Culture Ministry's creative education-media competition.

He was inspired by Phra Mahawet, who devised audio-visual discs and other aid to help people understanding the teachings of Buddha. He also got ideas from the Millionaire Game show.

"In schools computers are not always available, or there are not enough for everybody. So education media like CDs are not suitable.

"Students seem happy when they answer my questions correctly and try harder when they miss the first time. So I made my simple box of question cards, made from paper and plastic with nice pictures," he said.

The prize makes the monk proud and it solidifies his positive feelings about spreading the teachings of Buddha. He is sure he can instil their virtues in his students.

Phra Sitthiphong is now developing the quiz box for use in classes. He will refine the teaching aid as he goes along.

Pasara Puthamat

The Nation