Thai Government-aided School Nurtures Excellence In Academics And Tahfiz

From Noraizura Ahmad

YALA, July 3 (Bernama) -- Thamavitya Mulniti School here not only instils strong moral values in its students, but has also produced thousands of outstanding academic and tahfiz graduates with support from the Thai government.

The privately run Islamic-based school, established 75 years ago, currently has more than 6,000 students and operates with government subsidies of nearly 20,000 baht (RM2,600) per student annually, challenging the perception that Islamic education is marginalised in southern Thailand.

Its chairman Abdul Rahman Tupa said that although the school operates under a private Islamic education foundation, it still receives government subsidies and community support to help cover its operational and management costs.

“The combination of religious and academic studies we offer not only opens the path for students to further their studies in the Middle East, such as Egypt, but many have also been accepted into top universities in Thailand, including Chulalongkorn University.

“We want these children to excel in religious knowledge and contribute in professional fields such as economics and medicine,” he told Bernama here today.

Abdul Rahman said the morning session is dedicated to religious studies in Malay and Arabic, while the afternoon session focuses on academic subjects such as physics, chemistry, biology and English, taught in Thai.

Among the school’s proudest achievements, he said, is the creation of a product called ‘Damar Plus’, a guava leaf-based body deodorant formulated by the students themselves.

The product won a gold medal at an innovation competition in South Korea in 2019 and has since been entered into several other international innovation contests, including in Malaysia.

“This proves that we are serious about nurturing talent in science and innovation,” he said.

According to Abdul Rahman, a total of 140 classrooms are used daily, including a dedicated campus for female students, which accommodates over 1,000 pupils.

He said about 12 students further their studies in Egypt and other countries every year, and many of them go on to serve in the public sector in Thailand as members of the security forces, teachers and doctors after graduation.

Meanwhile, Malay language teacher Rokiah Ismail, 57, expressed pride in having served at the school for 25 years, helping to nurture high-achieving students.

She said one of the main challenges was teaching students to use standard Malay instead of the local dialect.

Although the task is challenging, Rokiah said it is important to ensure students from the school are able to pursue education or careers outside the southern provinces of Thailand.

“Serving in this school is a trust. We are not just teaching; we are helping to develop the community by shaping the identity of the younger generation,” she said.

Fifteen-year-old student Kasmini Isa described the opportunity to study at the school as an important step towards achieving her ambition of becoming a doctor.

“I want to help my family and the community. This school gives me confidence and a big opportunity to chase my dream,” said Kasmini, who comes from a small business-owning family.

The school’s integrated religious and academic education system is clearly the key to its success, offering a new narrative that Islamic education in southern Thailand continues to receive attention and support from the government to develop a future generation that is knowledgeable, virtuous and globally competitive.

According to Thailand’s Office of Private Education Commission, a total of 654 registered private Islamic schools operate in the four southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla. Each primary school receives a government subsidy of 15,000 baht (RM1,950) per student annually, while secondary schools receive nearly 20,000 baht (RM2,600).

By breakdown, Pattani has 263 private Islamic schools and 650 fardu ain kindergartens; Yala has 117 schools and 429 kindergartens; Narathiwat has 81 schools and 304 kindergartens; while Songkhla has 193 schools and 197 kindergartens.

-- BERNAMA