Thai school

Life in a Thai school is similar to our school. 

Some of the differences include shoes not being allowed to be worn in the school buildings and the annual Wai Kru Ceremony where all of the students bow down low in obeisance towards their teachers.

For most schools in Thailand, there are only two semesters with no mid-term breaks, compared to our school which has four semesters and mid-term breaks of about 2 weeks each. 

Term one usually starts in the first week of May. This then continues until about the first week of October. The second term then starts around the first week of November. 

As most Thai people are Buddhists, they don't get a break for Christmas. But they do get a 3-4 day break for the New Year. Term two finishes either at the end of February or first week in March. There is then a two month long summer break. 

At our school we start at 9.15am and finish at 3.15pm. 

For many students and teachers in Thailand, a school day is very long. Some arrive at school when it is still dark before 6 a.m. Most students don't start to arrive until 7 a.m. Most are at school by 7.30 a.m. Everyone has to be present for the national anthem at 8 a.m. and the raising of the Thai flag in the playground.

In Thailand, there are three lessons in the morning and they are 50 minutes each. Kindergarten stop for lunch first at 10.15 a.m. and then have a nap for two hours. Junior students stop for lunch at 11 a.m. Senior students stop for lunch at 11.30 a.m. In the afternoon, there are three more lessons finishing at 3.15 p.m. Thai schools have a compulsory "homework" lesson after school and so most students don't go home until after 4.45 p.m. The last students are usually picked up by their parents by about 6 p.m.