Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has presided over the 2023 Annual General Meeting of the Committee of the Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation, with the key agenda being the announcement of the teachers nominated for the 5th Princess Maha Chakri Award.
The Princess Maha Chakri Award is an international award given every two years to 11 teachers who make a difference in the lives of their students and contribute to the education circle in ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste. This year, the awardees from 11 countries were named, including teachers from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam.
For Thailand, Niwat Ngoen Ngam Meesuk from the “Mae Fah Luang” Hill Area Community Learning Center in Tak province, was selected for the award after undergoing a thorough selection process between 2022 – 2023 that involved all 77 provincial committees and 7 organizations with national awards credentials. Niwat also serves as a supervisor in five learning centers and a branch classroom at Ban Morko Mai, Tha Song Yang District, providing education to people of all ages in the community, including basic education to promote literacy, career development, quality of life, and environmental protection.
In addition to the Princess Maha Chakri Award, the foundation also announced two Kunakorn Awards. One was given to Udon Saising, a beloved and revered teacher at Ban Kota Baru School, Raman District, Yala Province. The other award was given to Somkiat Saeteng, a new-generation teacher who fosters quality education emphasizing community affection, the creation of identity, and the personal achievement of each child. He is currently working at the Khao Noi Wittayakhom School in Trat Province.
The Princess Maha Chakri Award Foundation also revealed that three additional countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Mongolia, will be eligible to nominate teachers for the 6th Princess Maha Chakri Award in 2025.
Over the past year, the Foundation and its network partners, both domestically and internationally, have worked to support the exchange of knowledge among the awarded teacher network. They have launched a project to promote and develop spelling, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Thai for children in remote areas. The project also aims to support Thai language teachers in schools where the majority of students are ethnic groups through the village education volunteer system, the use of media, and local-level support mechanisms.
The project has enabled teachers and volunteers to pilot 1,619 target schools across 14 provinces, providing them with the necessary tools to make a positive impact on education.
The 5th Princess Maha Chakri Award Ceremony will take place on October 17, 2023. (NNT)
