Mae Sot on the Thai/Myanmar Border
With the situation in Myanmar remaining extremely volatile, the number of forced migrants arriving in Mae Sot continues to rise. As a result, increasing numbers of children need access to education. Ensuring a secure and sustainable system of training and support for teachers is therefore more important than ever, so that children from displaced communities can access quality learning.
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In the border town of Mae Sot and the surrounding area, MEP’s team of local trainers provides practical support for teachers working in Migrant Learning Centres. Following MEP’s training model, the team delivers workshops and also travels to each school to provide direct, practical support to teachers in their own classrooms.
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MEP’s integrated teacher training model includes:
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Training workshops
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In-class mentoring and support
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Cambridge English courses
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Throughout the school year, MEP trainers deliver eight workshops across two training centres. Each workshop is followed by a school visit, where trainers work with teachers individually in their classrooms. The workshops focus on essential teaching skills that can be adapted across different ages and subjects.
During the follow-up visits, trainers tailor their support to each teacher’s needs, helping them apply the workshop techniques in their real classroom settings so that training does not remain theoretical but translates to meaningful improvements in teaching practice.
Teachers are also offered the opportunity to join a six-month Cambridge English course led by MEP’s Cambridge teacher. Alongside improving their English and gaining an internationally recognised qualification, teachers experience the same learner-centred techniques used in the training workshops. This often encourages them to adopt these approaches in their own classrooms.
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Youth Empowerment
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This year, MEP expanded its work in Mae Sot by partnering with two respected local organisations to support young people as they move towards further education or employment.
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At Youth Connect, which provides vocational training, apprenticeships and career services for migrant students, MEP delivers English language classes to vocational trainees to strengthen their employment prospects.
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At The SAW Foundation, which provides healthcare, education and safe housing for children and women along the Thai-Myanmar border, MEP runs a Cambridge English course for school leavers, helping them gain an internationally recognised qualification to support applications for further study or work.
