LEADERS IN LEARNING


CAMBRIDGE-STRATEGIES.ORG AMNUAYSILPA.AC.TH


BANGKOK, THAILAND


“ AS A THINKING SCHOOL, OUR TEACHERS’ TARGET FOR EACH LESSON IS DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ THINKING RATHER THAN STRIVING TO TEACH SPECIFIC CONTENT”


AMNUAY SILPA SCHOOL


IN 2012, AMNUAY Silpa School became the first accredited Thinking School in Asia, transforming the way in which its pupils are taught. Now it is taking a leading role in training other teachers across Thailand and South East Asia, helping more schools to adopt this new approach to education. Amnuay Silpa was founded in Bangkok in 1926 by Chitra Dansuputra,


a visionary young teacher of English whose ambition was to provide a holistic, child-centred education that would enable every pupil to flourish. “The original aim was to empower as many children as possible,”


says Petchuda Kesprayura, the school’s CEO and Chitra’s granddaughter. “The school gave children the ability to learn through good education, and different learning experiences and languages.” This aim has remained as it has evolved from a school for boys aged


six to 18 into a co-educational school teaching at kindergarten, primary and secondary levels. Amnuay Silpa was one of Thailand’s first bilingual schools and is still recognised as its best, counting six Thai prime ministers among its alumni, as well as numerous ministers, CEOs and other leaders in their fields.


THINKING ALLOWED By becoming a Thinking School Amnuay Silpa has cemented its reputation as a progressive institution, focused on providing an enriched education that gives students the best opportunities to learn and succeed. At Thinking Schools, which are accredited by the University of Exeter’s Cognitive Education Department, the regular curriculum is taught, but in an atmosphere geared towards promoting independent thought and questioning. “As a Thinking School, our teachers’ target for each lesson is developing


students’ thinking rather than striving to teach specific content,” says Kesprayura. “This means all lessons are designed to help students to think about what they learn, how they learn best, and what to do with their new learning.”


Pupils, she says, are more motivated because they are more engaged in their learning. “Thinking becomes the habit of our school community,” says Kesprayura, who believes this approach is vital for success in the modern and rapidly changing world.


A CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE While Amnuay Silpa is bilingual and teaches a combined Thai and UK international curriculum, it is not an international school and focuses on educating Thai children. Kesprayura says this unique approach, along with the Thinking School accreditation, makes it stand out for parents looking for a school that respects Thai traditions while equipping pupils with 21st-century skills. “There are a number of modern Thai parents who still value Thai language and culture, and this requirement cannot be fulfilled by sending their children to international schools,” explains Kesprayura. “At the same time, they regard not having English and coming out of traditional Thai schools as passive learners as too high a cost for the future of their children.” Having revolutionised the teaching environment at its own school


through the Thinking Schools programme, Amnuay Silpa is now providing training to transform other schools. It is helping to create nine Thinking Schools in Thailand, as well as working with teachers in Malaysia and possibly Laos. “This new role has put Amnuay Silpa School on to a new stage of leadership in education,” says Kesprayura. Since it was first established in 1926, Amnuay Silpa has been a


groundbreaking school, leading the way in modern education in Thailand. Its accreditation as Asia’s first Thinking School only serves to confirm its reputation as an influential institution at the forefront of meeting pupils’ learning needs in today’s world.

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