ThaiNGO

Save the Children International is looking for Consultant for Education Technical Assistant

JOB TITLE:  Education Technical Assistant

TEAM/PROGRAMME: PDQ Team   LOCATION: Bangkok, Thailand

Type of Contract:

CHILD SAFEGUARDING: (select only one)

Level 3:  the role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in country programs; or are visiting country programs; ore because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

BACKGROUND:

Migrants from Myanmar in Thailand

Migrants from Myanmar have been present in Thailand in large numbers for many years due to the long-term conflict, poor economy and lack of educational opportunities and jobs in the country. As a result, approximately 2.5 million migrants from Myanmar live in Thailand, primarily in areas with large agricultural, fishing, food processing industries or other jobs involving manual labor, such as in Bangkok and Mae Sot, a key border transit and trade site.[1]

The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that nearly 400,000 migrant children live in Thailand, approximately 11 percent of all migrants, although due to their illegal status and lack of registration the actual number may be much higher.[2]  In order to provide an education for their children, migrant communities set up Migrant Learning Centers (MLCs) run by volunteers and community based organization such as Help without Frontiers (HWF) and Foundation for Rural Youth (FRY).

Migrant Learning Centers

Currently there are 74 MLCs operating in and around Mae Sot, Thailand. These centers have been acknowledged and “listed” by the Royal Thai Government (RTG) Ministry of Education (MoE). This acknowledgement provides the centers with the ability to remain in the Mae Sot area without fear of closure or without migrant families fearing deportation. The MoE provides recognition of teacher ID cards and student ID cards. However these MLCs are not accredited, monitored or supported by any formal education authority and as a result students receive no formal recognition of learning.  There is no over-arching or formal coordinated structure to address school governance issues; the funding of MLCs, quality of education, recognition of education and teacher qualifications, or standards around the safety and security of children. Many migrant teachers may have minimal formal education or have received little training. There are some organizations providing running costs to MLCs, but due to insufficient funding with routine delays and shortfalls, as well as the lack of human resources at the supporting organizations, there is no direct administration of the MLCs.  The MLCs most often end at the primary school level and children leave these centers to go into work. Leaving education at this age with no record of learning has serious consequences for the future opportunities of these children. 

In addition to these challenges in governance and quality, MLCs are facing a funding crisis as many donors shift their funding priorities across the border in Myanmar. Some MLCs in the Mae Sot area have already closed down and many more may face closure in the coming years. Actors in the migrant education sector have thus been searching for alternatives for migrant children’s education and many believe that part of the long term sustainable solution must involve supporting migrant children to access Thai government schools.

Migrant Children in Thai Schools

 In August 2005, Royal Thai Government adopted an "Education for All" policy, giving all children in Thailand equal access to schooling, regardless of national origin or identity documentation. While implementation of this law has been very slow and many regional education authorities and Thai schools have failed to implement it, in the past three to four years the numbers of migrant children enrolling in Thai schools has steadily risen. Whilst this is regarded as a positive trend by some, many challenges and complications still exist. Some Thai government schools are still not aware of or do not understand the law, or are unwilling to accept non-Thai students. Many migrant families are afraid to send children to school for fear of arrest, or cannot afford the extra costs for school uniforms, text books and transportation.  Others live in plantations or remote areas where they work as agricultural laborers or in other jobs, making it difficult for them to access school. Some employers discourage families from leaving these sites, including attending school. There are also challenges related to language. Some families fear that their children will lose their Burmese language and face difficulties upon possible return to Myanmar. Migrant students are often not proficient in Thai, which represents a barrier to learning and development if they do not learn in their mother tongue. 

Save the Children and Partner’s Current Programming

Through our ACCESS and IMPACT programs, Save the Children and our partners Foundation for Rural Youth and Help Without Frontiers are supporting migrant children to enroll in school and learn to their potential. This is both through awareness-raising and support to enable migrant children to enroll in Thai schools, and also supporting the provision of education at migrant learning centers where this is the most appropriate option. Program activities to support education for migrant children include advocacy with the government, awareness-raising with parents and communities, guidance to schools on the EFA policy, language preparation and support programs, teacher training, and support to cover the associated costs of education such as transport.

ROLE PURPOSE:

Role of Education Technical Assistant

The purpose of this position is to support the improvement of Save the Children’s and partner’s migrant education program through research and technical support, with the following activities:

Language support:

Support  the desk and field research into the different strategies and approaches to enhance migrant children’s language development in mother tongue and Thai as a second language. Including through a language needs analysis of migrant children in Bangkok and Mae Sot,   case studies of the use of bilingual teachers and teaching assistants, the review of the programs and curriculum used to support children’s transition to studying in Thai, and any other strategies identified in the course of the review.

Following the review of the language strategies, support the design and delivery of  awareness-raising and planning workshops with migrant education partners to strengthen the support that children are given to children to learn in mother tongue and Thai as a second language.

Based on the planning workshops, support the development of tools and guidance to support good practice for children’s language development in the migrant education sector.

Data Collection:

Support a situation analysis and data collection on migrant children in and out of education in Bangkok and the surrounding provinces, through field visits to MLCs and other migrant education stakeholders at the community level, and review of secondary data sources and reports.

Technical Support

- Support the review the ECCD curriculum used in MLCs and develop recommendations for improvement where appropriate.

Provide other technical support to the SCI and partner’s program as required.

Deliverables

- Work plan

- Review and case studies of language practice in migrant education in Mae Sot and Bangkok and any other relevant areas.

- Presentations and materials for workshop on language practice.

- Workshop report and recommendations on language practice

- Tools and guidance to support good practice to support children’s language development and learning.

- Situation analysis and data on migrant children in and out of education in BMA and surrounding provinces.

- Toolkit for parents and schools on the application of the EFA policy for the enrolment of migrant children in Thai schools.

- Report on the review of the ECCD curriculum used in MLCs

- Other reports and documents as required.

Management of research

- The consultant will report to the SCI Senior Education Specialist whilst also working in close coordination with the project coordinators of the IMPACT and ACCESS projects

- Save the Children should review and approve all deliverables

 -The consultant will also work in close coordination with SCI’s partners such as Foundation for Rural Youth and Help without Frontiers

SKILLS AND BEHAVIOURS (SCI Values in Practice)

Accountability:

- Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

- Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

- Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same

 -Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

 -Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

 -Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

 -Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

- Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

- Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

- Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

 - Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS 

Essential:

- At least bachelor’s degree in education, research, social sciences or other related field

- At least 4 years’ experience working on education for vulnerable populations

- Ability to gather and analyze qualitative and quantitative data.

- Proven ability to work effectively with communities and community based organizations.

- Thai language proficiency

- Background in language teaching and mother tongue based multi-lingual education  desirable

- English language proficiency highly desirable

- Other languages desired: Burmese, Karen

- Expertise in issues related to migrant education desirable

- Teaching experience desirable

- Working knowledge of EFA policy  desirable

The submission must address the terms of reference and include:

Name and contact details of tenderer

- Resume of the consultant

- A cover letter outlining  the relevant experience and expertise of the candidate

- A detailed quote in $US of the monthly fee

Deadline for submission of application is on 26 February 2016

To apply, please send your application and CV to HR & Admin Manager at email address: jaem.prachoommark@savethechildren.org and tim.murray@savethechildren.org

Please indicate in the subject as “Apply for a Education Technical Assistant._(Name of candidate)”

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

“We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.”